You Have But Two Choices
by LordVishnu
Summary: The result of one battle is changed for some of Ichigo's friends and the 'Save Rukia Arc' ends up going rather poorly. Now locked away in a Soul Society prison alongside his only surviving friend it seems like it might all be over for our young hero. However, that all changes when Aizen visits his cell. Fast-paced story.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

 **A/N: Hello one hello all. How have you all been? Doing just fine myself. Welcome to my newest story. We're going to be in the Bleach universe today. Let's just jump right into it.**

* * *

 **Senzaikyū** **Prison Tower, Central Seireitei**

Ichigo's eyes were hollow and lifeless as he stared at the floor of his cell.

How had it all gone so wrong?

Not 24 hours ago he seemed to be on top of the world. He had finished what was said to be nearly impossible and attained his bankai after a mere three days. He had reached what was supposedly the pinnacle of a shinigami's ability and had finally obtained the power to save Rukia and protect his friends.

He felt pride.

He felt joy.

He felt _strong_.

Only for him to leave his training sanctuary and have it all turn to ashes in his mouth.

Ishida and Orihime were dead. Killed in action against a captain named Mayuri Kurotsuchi. Ichigo wished that Yoruichi hadn't told him. That she had waited just a few extra hours before letting him know.

If she had then he wouldn't have faltered. He wouldn't have wasted a few precious minutes reeling from their deaths.

He would have reached Rukia in time to stop the execution rather then getting there just to see her being immolated by the Sōkyoku. The peaceful look of acceptance on her face still haunted him whenever he shut his eyes.

The memories of what happened next were somewhat hazy. He remembered releasing his bankai and charging at Byakuya in a rage. Furious that he stood by as his sister was executed. Then there was an ungodly large amount of spiritual pressure released by the old man with the long beard and wooden cane. The next clear memory he had was waking up in this cell with spirit suppression cuffs over his wrists and ankles.

"Ichigo." his cellmate called. "Do you know what happened to Yoruichi and Ganju?"

Ichigo's gaze drifted slowly over to the oversized man chained up alongside him. The only other known survivor of this foolish escapade into Soul Society. "No Chad...I don't. Yoruichi is probably fine but I haven't seen Ganju in days. He's likely dead just like the others." he muttered softly.

Chad frowned at the dark tone in his friends voice. "It's not your fault Ichigo."

Ichigo scoffed with a hoarse throat. "How is it not? I'm the one who took Rukia's powers. I'm the one who got her arrested. I'm the reason you guys came to Soul Society. Everything that has happened...all of it...the reason they're dead...it's because of me."

"Oh? How surprising." A third voice announced sounding thoroughly amused. "You don't _really_ believe all that do you?"

Ichigo's and Chad's heads both snapped up towards the newcomer. A male shinigami with brown hair and dressed in a white haori approached the cell with a smile on his face and smug laughter in his eyes.

"A captain?" Ichigo muttered in surprise before processing what was actually said. "What the hell do you mean by that? Who are you?" he demanded with a shout.

A little of the laughter in the man's eyes was replaced by puzzlement and his smile shrank ever so slightly. "Who...am I? Do you honestly not know?" he questioned with seeming sincerity. "Did your father never mention me? Did Kisuke Urahara not even show you the face of his enemy? You do work for the man don't you? He is the one who sent you here is he not?"

Ichigo's brow furrowed at the condescending tone. "Urahara? What does he have to do with this? And why would my father know anyone in soul society? I never told him anything about shinigami!"

The man's look shifted from mild confusion to one of pity as his expression fell down to neutral. "I see. You really are nothing more than an unwitting pawn in all this aren't you? They sent you off to die without bothering to explain a single thing." he said more to the room than his audience. "What a waste." he added with a sigh.

Ichigo's anger rose. "You better start making sense or-"

"Calm yourself Ichigo Kurosaki. I will explain in a moment. My name is Sōsuke Aizen and until a few days ago I was captain of the 5th division of the Gotei 13. You could say that I chose to tender my resignation shortly after your arrival. For the past 100 years I have been engaged in a shadow war with the ex-captain of the 12th division Kisuke Urahara after he fled Soul Society for being found guilty of treason. At the center of that war...was this." Aizen proclaimed as he reached into his sleeve and produced a small blue and purple orb the size of a large marble. A small fire danced brilliantly in its center that drew the attention of both prisoners. One couldn't help but look upon it.

"100 years...over that little thing?" Ichigo breathed out.

Aizen smiled. "Yes...It does sound strange doesn't it? So much time for such a small thing. However, I assure you that this small artifact known as the Hōgyoku is capable of some truly incredible things. Perhaps I will tell you more on it later." Aizen said serenely as he re-pocketed the item. "For 100 years this object was hidden from me...always just beyond my grasp...but then something happened a few months ago. An unexpected wildcard to change Kisuke Urahara's strategy. Would you care to guess what event that was Ichigo Kurosaki?"

"W-What?" Ichigo stuttered. Still trying to mentally play catch up all the information he was receiving. Urahara was a captain? Found guilty of treason? And earlier this man Aizen implied that his goofball father was somehow involved with Soul Society.

"A young unranked shinigami was forced to grant her powers over to a human. Sound familiar? While normally such an occurrence would resolve itself on it's own and warrant nothing more than a slap on the wrist from the shinigami's superior this young shinigami woman had the distinct misfortune of losing her powers in the same area where Kisuke Urahara was hiding in the living world. Tell me Ichigo Kurosaki, did Rukia Kuchiki ever mention or perhaps complain that her powers should have returned to her after some time but for some reason did not?"

"Y-yeah. She did. Are you saying Urahara is the reason behind that?" Ichigo asked, desperate to finally start receiving answers.

Aizen smiled. This conversation was already proceeding better than anticipated.

"Exactly. Kisuke Urahara was so desperate to keep the Hōgyoku away from me that he was willing to ruin that young lady's life. He approached Rukia Kuchiki that very night, offering her a gigai to use while she awaited the return of her abilities. If it were a normal gigai then the process would have taken approximately 10-12 days. The girls powers would return to her, she would leave for Soul Society, and you would return to your simple life. So one must ask oneself the question. Why did this not happen?"

For a change it was the silent giant who spoke up. "It would mean that the gigai Urahara offered Rukia wasn't normal."

"Correct Yasutora Sado." Aizen said like a teacher congratulating a student. "The gigai Kisuke Urahara provided was not normal in any sense of the word. It was a one of a kind custom gigai that would slowly transform its user from a shinigami soul into an ordinary human one. In addition, through this gigai he managed to hide the Hōgyoku in the one place where no one should ever be able to find it. Inside Rukia Kuchiki's very soul. If everything went according to his plan young Rukia would have been stranded in the living world away from everyone she knew for the rest of her natural life. A considerably shortened life since humans live for under a hundred years whilst shinigami can easily reach ten times that."

"He was going to ruin Rukia's entire life just to stop you from getting that dumb little marble!" Ichigo questioned in outrage.

"Yes Ichigo. He was. And he very nearly succeeded." Aizen replied calmly. His features then shifted into a pensive, almost sorrowful, look. "For the next part of this story I'm going to have to ask that you try and refrain from yelling. It involves me taking some actions you will not appreciate. After I learned of Rukia Kuchiki being stuck without her powers in Karakura town I was able to piece together what Kisuke Urahara's plan was and developed appropriate counter measures. I manipulated events so that captain Kuchiki and vice-captain Abarai would be deployed to return her to Soul Society. I need not remind you on how that encounter played out. Once Rukia Kuchiki and far more importantly the Hōgyoku were back in Soul Society I once again used my own influence to ensure that she was executed by the Sōkyoku. Only it's power was great enough to burn away the soul but not harm any foreign-"

The chains rattled violently as Ichigo strained against his bindings. "YOU BASTARD! YOU KILLED HER!" he screamed with furious tears in his eyes.

"Do you hate me Ichigo Kurosaki?" Aizen asked totally unfazed. "Go ahead. I don't mind. I am not a saintly man. I have no compunctions about staining my hands with blood in order to get what I want. Especially the blood of a complete stranger. I knew of no other guaranteed way to separate her from the Hōgyoku. If it's any consolation to you her death was painless. The Sōkyoku burns so hot that it would have been quicker than falling asleep. A far better fate than most shinigami receive. A painful death of screaming in agony while being ripped apart in combat."

"That's no excuse...there must've been another way...there had to be." Ichigo whispered mostly to himself as his tears splashed against the stone floor.

"I did have some backup contingencies in place but all of them were considerably more violent and likely would've killed the girl anyway. But let us get back to the subject of you. I must say I was rather surprised when you invaded Seireitei with a misfit band of empowered humans and your cousin in order to take back Rukia Kuchiki. I was expecting Kisuke Urahara to send Yoruichi Shihōin or perhaps even your father to try and retrieve the Hōgyoku. Not a bunch of untested teenagers who haven't the slightest idea what they're doing."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "My cousin? And that's the second time you've mentioned my father! How is he involved here? Tell me!"

' _How easily the rat walks into the trap'_ Aizen mused to himself. "Isshin Kurosaki. Formerly Isshin Shiba, uncle to Kūkaku and Ganju Shiba and ex-captain of the 10th division. Disappeared almost two decades ago from Soul Society and currently wanted for dereliction of duty. Did you never question why you conveniently had your own shinigami powers to call upon after Rukia Kuchiki's were lost to you? Not to mention that your powers were greater than most of Soul Societies elites? Did you think you were special? Did you think it was your resolve granting you all your strength? I'm sorry boy but it's just a simple case of genetics. Your father _really_ never mentioned this? Even after you obtained shinigami abilities?" Aizen asked with faux concern.

"No...never...He never mentioned a damn thing!" Ichigo spat angrily as he stared at the ground of his cell.

Aizen put on his best comforting face and softened his voice."Ichigo Kurosaki. When I first walked into this cell it was on a whim. To thank you for making such a scene at Sōkyoku hill after the execution that I was able to grab the Hōgyoku completely undetected. A parting barb to send at one who I presumed was a loyal soldier of my enemy. Now I see that this is not the case. So I would like to offer you something instead."

"What's that?"

"You may not be aware of this yet but your state executions are both being scheduled right now. In just about a weeks time you will both be dead. Most likely by beheading. You have but two choices. Option one. You can stay in this cell and await whatever fate Soul Society deems appropriate for you...or you can go with door number two."

"And that is?"

"Join me. As I mentioned earlier I have effectively resigned from the Gotei 13. Two other captains alongside myself have decided to rebel against the status quo. We seek a complete overhaul of the current system. I'm gathering an army to tear down this arrogant and outdated place. I would like to offer both you and your friend Yasutora Sado a place in that army. I offer you a chance to live. A chance to avenge the deaths of your friends. Perhaps even a chance to strike back at Kisuke Urahara who played you like a fiddle so expertly. And if one day you choose to come for my head for the part I played in Rukia Kuchiki's death then I will not object."

Ichigo sat there silently for a few moments. Mulling over everything he had learned in the past few minutes. He turned to his best friend with an obvious question etched on his face. _'W_ _hat do you think?'_

"I have no family or real ties left in the living world Ichigo. When I followed you here I knew that I might die or that my life might be changed forever." The tall man spoke. "Whatever you decide...I'm with you to the end." he promised, somehow finding the inner strength to smile on this darkest of all days.

"If it makes it any easier I promise that I will never lie to you Ichigo." Aizen lied.

Ichigo's eyes hardened with determination as he reached his decision. "Alright Aizen. Deal. But one day...one day I will come for you over what you did to Rukia."

Aizen smiled as the conversation finished exactly the way he planned it to. "That is acceptable. Now let us be off. It is time to reconvene with my other allies." Aizen said as he diced the prison bars with a quick slash and removed the suppression cuffs from the prisoners with two more.

"And where's that?" Ichigo asked as he rubbed one of his wrists.

"Hueco Mundo."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **A/N: I thought I'd just mention super quick that at no point in this story will there be Führer** **Ywach or any of his Sternritter. Almost everything in that arc was poorly thought out and it was just a huge damn mess. If it were up to me the series would've ended on the page where Ichigo used 'Mugetsu'.**

 **Alright. Got that squared away.**

* * *

 **Senzaikyū Prison Tower, Central Seireitei**

Yoruichi raced across the rooftops; her legs blurring from the speed at which she moved. At the edge of the final building she bent her knees at the last possible moment and leapt towards a low hanging window on the prison tower.

She grasped onto the sill of the opening and with practiced perfection did a reverse flip through the gap and into the structure.

Right into a pack of four guards.

' _Perfect.'_

"Hey you!" One of them called as his hand reached for his weapon. "No one's allowed in-URGH" The man was silenced as Yoruichi closed the distance in an instant and buried her fist into his gut. Before any of the others could process what had happened she spun around and kicked a second man in the side of the head and then delivered an upwards palm strike to the chin of a third.

The only guard still conscious opened his mouth to speak but his words died in his throat when he was picked up and slammed painfully against the stone wall. Yoruichi produced a short blade from inside her sleeve and held it a mere half inch away from one of the mans eyes.

"Your two newest prisoners. The ryokas who invaded seireitei a few days ago. What cell are they in?" she asked with steel in her voice.

"F-fifth floor! Cell n-number s-seven!" The man stammered fearfully.

"Thanks." Yoruichi said with a genuine smile before giving the man a swift chop to the neck and rendering him unconscious.

The final guard hadn't even finished crumbling to the floor in the short time it took for Yoruichi to flash to the end of the hallway and start ascending the stairs to the next floor.

' _Third floor...fourth floor…dodge another patrol of guards...fifth floor. This is it!'_

Yoruichi burst onto the fifth floor and her eyes immediately widened in alarm. Every guard on the floor was dead. Some lying face down in pools of blood whereas others were slumped against the once pristine white walls.

"Ichigo! Chad!" Yoruichi screamed as she ran to the door labeled 'Cell Seven'. She kicked the door open and caught the quickest glimpse of a garganta portal snapping shut. Leaving behind an empty cell and a few broken restraints.

"Oh...shit."

* * *

 **Seireitei, 13** **th** **Division Captains Barracks**

Captains Kyōraku and Ukitake sat in somber silence staring at cups of tea in their hands. The only sounds were the occasion clank of a sōzu in the small garden pond outside and the distant shuffling of other shinigami going about their business.

"It's not your fault Jūshirō. There are some things in this world we just can't control." Kyōraku said quietly as he stirred his cup around lightly.

"How am I supposed to accept that Shunsui?" Ukitake replied with sadness in his voice. "One minute and three seconds. That's how late I arrived with the shihōin shield. If I had undone the seals just a little bit faster, If I had gotten up just a little bit earlier in the morning, If I had just one less coughing fit on the way to the execution grounds, If any of those occurred then I would have gotten there before Kuchiki died and we could have destroyed the Sōkyoku together. Then Rukia would still be alive..."

"You can't be sure of that." Kyōraku replied. "Let's say we succeeded in taking out that oversized spear. What then? Kuchiki would still have a death sentence hanging over her head."

"That ryoka boy might have gotten her out..." Ukitake protested weakly.

"Gotten her away from old man Yama?" Kyōraku questioned lightly but skeptically. "You saw how quickly the commander slapped him down after he showed up."

Ukitake shook his head. "You know as well as I Shunsui that had our plan succeeded then Yamamoto's attention would have been entirely on us. That ryoka would have barely factored into his peripheral vision at that point."

"There were still captains Suì-Fēng and Kuchiki present. Do you really think the boy could have fought both of them?"

Ukitake sighed. "Probably not. But the ryoka did have a bankai. Anything is possible."

"Not just probably not. It'd be impossible. There's no way he could win against both. Suì-Fēng would only need him distracted for a moment before she killed him with that scary power of hers." Kyōraku reached out gently and laid his hand on his best friends shoulder. "You have to accept it Jūshirō. Your subordinate still would have died."

"She wasn't just a subordinate!" Ukitake nearly shouted. "She was the last connection I had to my previous lieutenant Kaien! I wanted her to take his place someday!" The captain of the 13th protested loudly before turning to the side for a small fit of coughing.

It was Shunsui's turn to sigh. "...you're right. I'm sorry. But it doesn't change the fact that she's gone. The only thing we can do now is avenge her. We know from the revelations brought forth by captain Unohana that Aizen was manipulating everything by pretending to be the Central 46. What we don't know is the why. Why did Aizen arrange for Rukia's death in such a way? What happened to her in the living world that made her so important? And where have he, Ichimaru, and Tōsen disappeared to?"

Ukitake's eyes hardened. "I don't know. But those are all things I intend to find out."

* * *

 **Inside The Garganta, In between Soul Society and Hueco Mundo**

"So...why are your allies waiting in Hueco Mundo? Isn't it dangerous with all the hollows running around?" Ichigo asked in a bored tone as the group of three walked at a comfortable pace.

"Tell me Ichigo Kurosaki what do you-"

"NO! Stop that! Stop using peoples full names every time you say them. It's weird, uncomfortable and gives me the creeps." Ichigo exclaimed in annoyance.

Aizen chuckled briefly to himself. "My apologies Ichigo. It is merely an old habit of mine. But as I was saying. What do you know about Arrancar?"

"Never heard of them." Ichigo replied bluntly. "Chad?" Ichigo asked, looking to his friend.

The silent giant simply shook his head in the negative.

"I see. I expected as much. Before I explain to you both what an Arrancar is, I should preface it with an explanation of the various types of menos grande that exist within Hueco Mundo." Aizen said.

"Menos grande? You mean those black and white hollows that are as tall as skyscrapers?" Ichigo asked. "I fought one of those before. That cero thing it used was pretty serious."

Aizen nodded. "Indeed. That brand of menos is known as a Gillian. Shinigami ranked below that of 7th seat in their respective divisions are forbidden from fighting them alone. Even if you are a high ranking officer and have clearance to engage them in combat it is probably wiser to call for backup. Such is their terrifying power. However, of the three classes of menos grande that exist...Gillian are by far the weakest."

"What!" Ichigo yelped in surprise. "But that thing nearly killed me! And it's the weakest?"

"Do not sell yourself so short Ichigo. You are a captain class shinigami now. You could likely slay them by the dozens and not even tire with the power you now possess. Although at his current strength Sado should be a tad more cautious if he sees one."

Chad reflexively clenched his fist at the mention. _'_ _For the moment'_ he thought.

"Almost all Gillians are identical. Mindless beasts that are too sluggish to properly wield the power at their disposal." Aizen continued. "But on occasion one will be born that is unique. One that has retained its intelligence and sense of individualism. In these cases the unique Gillian will have an uncontrollable urge to feed on its brethren. It will continue to consume its mindless siblings until an internal change is triggered. It is here when the Gillian evolves into the second type of menos grande. The Adjuchas."

"What are they like?" Chad asked with the tiniest hint of nervousness in his voice.

"It varies." Aizen answered with a small shake of his hand. "Adjuchas have as much diversity among them as that of regular hollows. Unlike the Gillian who's power is fairly uniform, the Adjuchas have strengths all over the place. The only thing you can be sure of is that it will be 'stronger than a Gillian'. Perhaps by only a little and perhaps by a massive amount. All Adjuchas have the capability to speak, to think, to feel complex emotions, and even contemplate their own existence. Although many choose to ignore these things because of the cursed life all Adjuchas are forced to live."

"A cursed life?" Ichigo questioned with a slight frown.

"Yes. A horrible existence. As I said before, Adjuchas have the ability to think and to feel. In a land full of mindless bloodthirsty hollows one might think that the Adjuchas would have a sense of kinship with each other. However this is rarely the case. The uncontrollable hunger from when they were unique Gillians carries over into their new stage of evolution. The Adjuchas are forced to compete and hunt eat other over the vast emptiness of Hueco Mundo or they will regress. Go too long without eating and they will revert back into a mindless Gillian. Know this Ichigo. Once an Adjuchas regresses into a Gillian there is absolutely zero chance of ever evolving again. Can you imagine such a life Ichigo? To be forced to constantly hunt those that could potentially be your companions or you will lose your sense of self forever?"

"I...I..." Ichigo failed to find the words.

"It truly does sound like a curse." Chad commented.

"There are only two ways for an Adjuchas to end the cycle and still manage to retain their sense of self. The first is to reach the final stage of evolution. The third type of menos grande. The Vasto Lorde. The pinnacle of hollow evolution and a being that could fight a weaker shinigami captain with one hand tied behind its back. Not all Adjuchas have the ability to reach this final stage. In fact, I speculate that very very few of them do. Similar to how not all shinigami have the ability to become a captain no matter how much they push themselves. Sometimes destiny is just not on your side."

"What's the second way?" Ichigo inquired.

"A method very obscure and even more painful. At least it used to be. Unlike becoming a Vasto Lorde this method is not something that is instinctively known to hollows. This is a path that they must stumble upon on their own by dumb luck or by encountering another hollow that has already made the change. The second way is for a hollow to rip away their own mask and obtain shinigami powers. This is what is known...as an Arrancar."

"And these hybrid beings are who we're going to meet now?" Chad said as he mentally connected the dots.

"Correct. Over many years I have been secretly putting together an army of unique Gillian and Adjuchas class hollows, helping them escape the cycle of death and unending hunger by transforming them into Arrancar. As I said before this process was quite painful originally but I have found a way to circumvent that."

"How?" Ichigo asked with rapt attention.

Aizen smiled at how enraptured Ichigo was becoming with the lecture. A few carefully selected words and Aizen could tell the boy was already sympathetic to the plight of the Adjuchas. Which leads to sympathy with most Arrancar for trying to escape their fate. Which will in turn lead to sympathy towards Aizen himself for liberating them.

"With my own version of the Hōgyoku." Aizen answered. "Originally, rather than try and obtain Urahara's Hōgyoku from him, I endeavored to create my own. However, despite constant attempts and decades of research, I was only partially successful. I created an incomplete version that can easily transform hollows into Arrancar but it is unable to help with greater tasks. I am hoping that by combining Urahara's Hōgyoku with my own that I will get an artifact more powerful than either one is individually."

"What are you hoping it will do?" Chad asked.

Aizen refrained from smirking. "A man must keep a few secrets mustn't he?" he replied lightheartedly. "Perhaps I will tell you later. Ah. It seems we've arrived."

The three men reached a light at the end of the dimensional tunnel and hopped out into what could only be called a throne room. It was immaculately clean and incredibly tall. The sides were lined with cylindrical pillars and a single chair sat in the center of the room elevated by a gigantic stone slab.

"Welcome. To Las Noches." Aizen said with a smile.

"Woah...are we really in Hueco Mundo? This isn't what I imagined at all." Ichigo said as he glanced around.

"Oh my. Is that the ryoka boy I met at the gate in Seireitei?" An uncomfortably familiar voice rang out.

Ichigo and Chad turned around to the sight of two more shinigami captains. The white haired fox-like man who expelled Ichigo from his initial attempt at invading Seireitei and a purple haired dark skinned man who appeared to be blind.

"I certainly wasn't expecting this when you said you 'had a little detour to make' captain Aizen." The white haired man commented as he leered creepily at Ichigo and Chad.

"It seems that fortune has decided to gift us with two more allies. And I no longer hold the rank of captain Gin." Aizen replied.

"Nonsense." Gin dismissed as he waved the comment away with one hand. "You'll always be captain Aizen to me."

"Hmm. Well suit yourself." Aizen relented in amusement. "Ichigo, Sado. Allow me to introduce the two shinigami who have chosen to revolt alongside me. Former captains of the 3rd and 9th divisions Ichimaru Gin and Kaname Tōsen."

"Hiya! I'm betting we'll get along reeeally well don't you think? We'll be the best of friends in no time." Ichimaru said with a wave and an exceedingly wide snake-like grin.

"Uh..yeah..sure..." Ichigo answered nervously as both he and Chad started to sweat uncomfortably.

Tōsen approached the two with a blank expression. "Kurosaki. Sado. I am sorry for what happened to your friends. Together we will ensure that justice is done for them. If there is anything I can help you with please feel free to ask."

Ichigo's expression sunk slightly, suddenly remembering the events that led them here while Chad managed to get out a polite "Thank you Kaname."

Tōsen gave a simple nod of acknowledgment and then turned to his leader. "Lord Aizen. I have gathered the Espada in the meeting room as you requested before we separated."

"Excellent Kaname. Let us be off then."

As the five men started to walk Ichigo leaned over to Chad and whispered "Did that guy really just call him 'Lord Aizen'?"

"Think nothing of it Ichigo." Aizen said, overhearing the comment. "A few of the Arrancar started referring to me like that at some point. I merely never corrected them. It seems now that our defection is official, Kaname has chosen to adopt the moniker as well."

"May I ask something somewhat unrelated?" Chad spoke up in a perplexed tone.

"By all means." Aizen replied.

"Why are the Arrancar following you? You've mentioned that you're rebelling against the corruption and status quo of Soul Society, but I don't see why these Arrancar would care when they live here in Hueco Mundo."

"Oh? It seems there's a mind under all that muscle." Aizen commented in good humor. "As with any army the reasons vary from soldier to soldier. A few have encountered shinigami in the past when they were normal hollows and still hold a grudge. Some have retained their bloodthirsty nature and are simply itching for a fight. Then there are those who feel they owe me for helping them escape the unending cycle of hunting their own kin. The largest group however, are those that just want to prove they have the right to exist."

"What do you mean by that?" Ichigo demanded indignantly. "Who says they can't exist?"

"Soul Society of course. One might think that the top shinigami would be glad for a hollow who has escaped the terrible fate of the Adjuchas. Be glad for the sentient hollow that can think and feel and no longer has to constantly kill to survive. But instead Soul Society considers the Arrancar an abomination. In their eyes a hollow is a hollow and a shinigami is a shinigami. There can be no mixing of their powers. In the few times throughout history that Arrancar have appeared they have always been hunted down with extreme prejudice. Soul Society has even sent hunting parties of high ranking officers into Hueco Mundo itself to dispose of them. Simply for existing."

"That's horrible!" Ichigo yelled outraged.

"I agree. If you want to know more we can discuss it later." Aizen remarked as they finally reached their destination. A set of large double doors that led to the meeting room. "In here you will meet the Espada. The 10 most powerful Arrancar in Hueco Mundo. Please hold your tongue during the meeting Ichigo. For the moment you are a stranger to them, we don't need any unnecessary outbursts."

Tōsen pushed open the door and stepped to the left to usher everyone inside.

Ichigo and Chad stepped into the room and immediately felt 10 pairs of eyes swivel onto them. Chad hid his surprise at their physical appearance well but Ichigo didn't. ' _They...they look just like people. A few hollow parts here and there but that's it. I was expecting monsters... Are these really Arrancar? These are what Soul Society considers abominations?'_

Aizen chuckled at Ichigo's shocked expression as he sat down in the chair at the head of the table. _'_ _I knew I was forgetting to mention something. Although perhaps this way it works out even better.'_ he mused to himself.

"Hello my dear Espada. I have returned once again from Soul Society and this time I am here to stay. Before we begin the meeting let us address the 'elephant in the room' as the humans say. This is Ichigo Kurosaki and Yasutora Sado." Aizen intoned as he gestured to the two standing behind his chair. "Two prisoners of Soul Society that I chose to liberate on my way out. They will be joining us in our cause. Young Ichigo here has a good deal of power but not the experience to properly use it whereas I believe Sado's powers themselves are still under development. I would like one of you to assist them in their growth while they are my guests here in Las Noches."

Silence reigned the room for a few moments as most of the Espada looked away or simply pretended they had not heard the request.

"Do I have a volunteer?" Aizen asked with a less amused tone.

Finally a single Espada stood and stared directly at the head of the table. "Lord Aizen. I believe my fracción and I will be more than capable of doing what you ask. I can begin as soon as the meeting ends."

"Excellent. Ichigo, Sado. You should be honored to have such a high ranking Arrancar mentoring for you. Allow me to introduce your training partner for the next few weeks. Espada No.5."

Ichigo peeked around the corner of Aizens large chair to get a better look at the Arrancar in question and was forced to avert his gaze after a few seconds. He didn't want to be caught blushing in such a serious moment.

"Neliel Tu Oderschvank."

* * *

 **A/N 2: Yes. This story will contain a slightly different Espada line up. My changes are only twofold.**

 **Firstly Nnoitra is out and Nel is in. I thought about bumping half the Espada down a rank in order to squeeze her in, but in the end I decided it was just cleaner to switch our her and the canonical number 5. I don't think it's too far a stretch to imagine a situation where she was forced to put down Nnoitra because of his constant threats to her in their shared backstory.**

 **Secondly, I have decided to swap the ranks of Ulquiorra and Harribel. My reason is this. When you look at the way Ulquiorra in his first released state effortlessly dominated Ichigo in his mask-empowered form and compare it to Harribels frankly sub-par performance against Hitsugaya I just cannot understand how she is ranked 3 and Ulquiorra is 4. This is completely ignoring the fact that Ulquiorra has a second release. Some of you may disagree with this change and that is your right. Although to be quite honest it's rarely ever going to come up.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3  
**

 **Karakura Town, Urahara's Shop**

Kisuke slammed onto the floor from the impact of the punch and raised his hand up to tenderly rub his stinging cheek.

"What do you mean you and Tessai didn't go with them!" Isshin screamed at the man he had just slugged in the face.

"You didn't seem to have a problem with the idea when I was training your son before he left." Kisuke grumbled from the ground.

"I thought you were all going! That you'd be right alongside him every step of the way!"

"I did send Yoruichi..." Kisuke defended weakly.

"And look what good it did!" Isshin roared. "Only a single captain level chaperone to watch over four untrained kids invading an enemy stronghold! Do you realize I have to go tell Ryūken that his only child is dead after I'm done here? And I have no goddamn clue what I'll say to that Tatsuki girl when she inevitably comes asking around! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING SITTING AT HOME?"

Kisuke fought back despite feeling contrite. "Tessai and I both have been framed for treason! I was thinking we shouldn't go somewhere where there's a death sentence hanging over our heads!"

"Don't give me that bullshit! With all your gadgets and trinkets you could have avoided detection easily! And now my son, MY ONLY SON, is in the hands of that monster! Who knows what kinds of lies and half-truths he's filling his head wi-"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Yorucihi screamed from the corner where she was sitting cross legged. "We get it Isshin. We fucked it up. There's nothing we can do to change that. What we need to be discussing is what our next move should be."

Isshin huffed and crossed his arms in annoyance as Urahara pushed himself off the ground.

Kisuke picked his hat up off the floor and walked over to the counter to pour himself some tea. "Yoruichi said that Soul Society was buzzing with the news of Aizen's betrayal as she was leaving. Evidently he was confronted by captain Unohana and revealed both his true nature and the actual abilities of his zanpakutō. Soul Society's next move will be to investigate where he has gone and why he arranged Rukia's death in the manner that he did. In the next couple of days an investigation team should show up in Karakura to search for clues. We need to find whoever is leading that team and inform them of what we know."

"What if an investigation team doesn't show up?" Isshin asked in irritation, refusing to even look at Urahara.

"They will. But I'll begin preparing another portal to Soul Society for Yourichi just in case."

Isshin sighed. "Fine. I expect you to keep me updated. Now if you'll excuse me I need to go probably get punched in the face by Ryūken and then have a very long and painful conversation with my daughters."

Yoruichi's expression rose a bit in surprise. "You're gonna bring them into the know?" she questioned.

"I honestly don't see how I can avoid it."

* * *

 **Hueco Mundo, The Desert Just Outside Las Noches**

Chad held his transformed right arm above his head. Trying in vain to repel the giant kanabō that Dondochakka was swinging down on him. Chad's knees nearly buckled under the strain and sweat poured down his neck as he pushed back against the Arrancar's unusual zanpakutō. He raised his human arm up to supplement and only then did he manage to stabilize.

"Oy. Sado. You're open." Pesche announced as he suddenly appeared with a buzz of sonido. Chad's eye's barely had time to widen before his second attacker rammed his leg into the mans midsection.

Chads mouth was wrenched open as he spat up a little blood from the blow. Momentum kicked in not a half second later, sending the tall man flying across the battlefield. The empowered human skidded and tumbled across the sand before finally managing to right himself. Panting heavily, he rose to one knee and fired off a retaliatory blast of blue energy from his right hand. An attack that his opponents easily dodged.

"Chad!" Ichigo called out in worry. "Just hang in there!"

"You don't have time to be distracted Ichigo." Neliel admonished as she sliced him across the leg. A deliberately small wound. A reprimand for not paying attention. His sixth injury in only half as many minutes. "Take this seriously." she demanded.

"I am taking this seriously!" Ichigo yelled back, barely blocking another attack with his oversized khyber blade.

"No you're not." Neliel insisted in a mono-tone. "You haven't made a single attempt at being anything but defensive. I'm deliberately not using sonido and you still can't keep up with my speed. I'm getting bored Ichigo. Did you really defeat a captain-level shinigami fighting like this?" She questioned. Her sword still swinging in a flurry.

"It's-not-my-fault-you're-stronger-than-me." Ichigo protested. Each word separated by the sounds of two swords clanging against each other.

Neliel looked disappointed. "If that were the only problem then you'd just release your bankai. The increase in reiatsu alone would even the playing field at the level I'm fighting you at. Yet you haven't. You're not even trying to win." Neliel ducked past Ichigo's first offensive swing of the match and stepped into his guard. She thrust her palm hard into his chest, launching him several meters away. Ichigo let loose a small gasp as he hit the ground and started sliding across the desert.

"Tell me the real reason you're holding back. Now." Neliel commanded in a no nonsense tone, ominously descending on his new location with her sword at her side.

"I'm not holding back!" Ichigo insisted as he brushed himself off and took another defensive pose.

Neliel scowled. "Lying is only going to make me angrier."

"Arrggh Fine! I just have a hard time fighting against beautiful women okay!" Ichigo shouted in frustration.

Neliel stopped her walk mid-stride and the annoyance in her eyes was replaced by bewilderment. Ichigo meanwhile blushed red at his unintentional outburst and turned his head away to avoid eye contact.

"Pffft-" Neliel sputtered before breaking out into full bellied laughter, bending over at the waist as she failed to contain herself. Ichigo tried to look offended at being laughed at but utterly failed as he noticed how...child-like... his opponent sounded. When Neliel eventually rose her head again the Arrancar's eyes appeared softer now, almost whimsical. "Oh Ichigo. I'm flattered. Really. That's very...sweet. But you really do need to start taking this seriously..." Neliel warned as she stretched her palm out towards Ichigo.

"...because if you don't..." Neliel's expression suddenly hardened again as little flicks of bright purple energy began to coalesce into a sphere above her hand. Ichigo's grip on his sword tightened as the ball quickly reached what seemed like critical mass and it shone brilliantly. The entire area taking on a purplish hue from its light. "...you're gonna die. _**Cero!**_ "

The energy exploded outward at incredible speed with the distinctive _vroom_ sound that ceros are known for.

' _Oh that ain't good!'_ Ichigo quickly thought in a panic. " _ **GETSUGA TENSHŌ!**_ " he roared, more out of instinct than an actual battle plan.

Blue met purple and for one incredible moment the two waves of energy pushed against each other in a struggle for dominance. But it was not to last. Quickly enough, purple overwhelmed blue and a weakened version of the attack persevered onward towards the shinigami.

' _Son of a-'_

The cero detonated on impact and for not the first time today Ichigo was sent sprawling across the desert sand. Now with tattered clothes and a few minor scorch marks marring his skin. Not a second later and Chad came crashing down next to him, knocked away by a nasty hit courtesy of Dondochakka.

"Hey Chad..." Ichigo paused so he could pant a few times. "...how's your first day of training going?"

"...it could be better." The giant replied after his own bout of heavy breathing.

"Yeah...me too buddy...me too." Ichigo sighed out as he climbed back to his feet, wincing from his injuries as he did so.

* * *

 **Las Noches, Aizen's Private Quarters**

"Knock knock." Ichimaru Gin singsonged jokingly as he slid the door open and stepped into the room.

Aizen glanced at his subordinate through his peripheral vision. "What is it Gin?" Aizen asked as he looked over the profiles of individual Arrancar on his desk. So many under his command and yet so few of them actually useful. Surely there was a better purpose for all the Números then having them lounge about Las Noches all day.

"Just wondering about something." Gin responded innocently. Leering over Aizen's shoulders to read the folder in the mans hands.

"And that is?" Aizen asked, moving his work aside and resting his head on one propped up arm.

"The real reason you invited those two boys here."

"Oh?" Aizen muttered in amusement. "Have you decided to start questioning me Gin?"

"Not at all captain Aizen." Gin said in a way that was both disarming and slippery. "I was just curious about it."

Aizen turned and regarded his lieutenant. A man he could trust completely and not trust at all at the same time. A paradox that had entertained him for over a century. "Gin. Did you know that one of the first laws that Soul Society established after the formation of the Central 46 over a thousand years ago was that it is illegal for a shinigami to breed with a human in the living world?"

Gin tilted his head slightly to the side and his usual grin shrank to something more neutral. "I didn't. Should I presume there was an incident of some kind?"

Aizen let a small chuckle escape his throat. "Not at all. To the best of my knowledge there has never been a human with shinigami parentage ever born before Ichigo Kurosaki. The law was one of precaution. Made out of fear."

Ichimaru's grin disappeared from his face entirely. "I don't follow." he said confused.

"Humans of the living world are beings of change. Of evolution. A child born in the living world reaches adulthood in about two decades whereas a soul born in Soul Society takes upwards of ten times that length. Souls in the 'afterlife' as the humans call it are much more resistant to change. Just as it takes a great deal of time for us to age so too does it take us years to raise our strength and several centuries to reach our full potential. Whereas a human could hypothetically do those two things in weeks and a few years respectively. Prodigies in even less time. You can easily see why Soul Society would be wary of the idea of humans being born with shinigami abilities. Just as you were curious when you stepped into this room, so too am I curious about the limits of Ichigo."

"You actually believe he'll get strong enough to matter?" Gin asked surprised.

"My earliest projections have the war against Soul Society to begin in three months. Three months training for an average human is close to 2.5 years for a shinigami...and Ichigo Kurosaki is anything but average. His spiritual growth rate since awakening his powers has been off the charts. I expect...interesting...things from him."

Ichimaru whistled in appreciation."Well I guess that answers one question. What about the big one that came with him?"

Aizen made a dismissive wave with his hand. "Yasutora Sado is of no consequence to me. Spiritually empowered humans have popped up from time to time throughout history but aside from the quincies none of them ever did anything worth mentioning. I brought him along for no reason other than Ichigo wouldn't have willingly left him behind. Although I will admit that despite his unimpressive origins, it is possible Yasutora Sado will be pushed to heights greater than any other human has reached before him. The opportunity to train against Arrancar is a unique one after all. If he reaches such a level then he will be used accordingly."

* * *

 **Karakura Town, Two Days Later**

Just over two dozen shinigami stepped out of the senkaimon gate that had appeared in the skies above the small town. They were divided into six groups of four not including the man in charge of them all on this mission. In each of the groups of four was one shinigami from the 12th division who held a small box with a radar like device protruding from it. These special boxes could detect minuscule traces of any particular shinigami's reiatsu even months after the shinigami had been there; provided that the scene hadn't been contaminated by other bouts of large spiritual power. Currently these boxes were attuned to the reiatsu of Rukia Kuchiki using the only thing that remained of her as a guiding system. The pieces of her zanpakutō.

"Spread out men! Before the day is done I want a full map of all the places Rukia traveled to while she was stationed here! Every building, every street, every place she took a walk! If you find something interesting come back to me straight away." Jūshirō Ukitake barked out. He'd only been granted three days to get this done by the captain commander and he couldn't waste any time. Not after he so rudely demanded that he be placed in charge of the investigation team.

"Sir yes sir!" The other shingami called out as the teams broke off into multiple directions. Some towards parks, some down side streets and one towards Karakura high school.

While his men and the 12th division members worked, Ukitake traveled towards the spot where he believed it all started. He moved slow. Slower than he should have considering his tight schedule, but he found that he couldn't help himself. As he took in all the sights and sounds of the humble town he imagined that Rukia's extended stay in the human world was a peaceful one. He had to believe that.

Eventually he found himself in front of a two-story yellow house with a green roof. He strolled into the alley next to it and stared down at the base of a light post. This was the spot. According to Rukia's own testimony from after she was arrested, this was where she had given away most of her powers.

"Oh good. You're here." A voice said from behind him. "I was getting real tired of waiting for someone to show. Wasn't expecting someone so important though."

Ukitake didn't turn to look. Even inexperienced shinigami paid humans no heed when they spoke. It wasn't like they were talking to them after all. Can't talk to someone you can't even see.

"OY!" The voice yelled out a bit affronted. "I know it's been 20 years but are you really giving me the silent treatment Jūshirō? Don't you want to come inside and ask about Rukia?"

Ukitake continued to stare at the spot where his subordinates life was irrevocably changed for the worse. Then he blinked as the words of the human actually hit him.

His head snapped around and his eyes bulged at the sight of someone he presumed had died two decades ago.

"C-captain Shiba?"

* * *

 **A/N: Writing scenes that contain Dondochakka and Pesche is weird because I don't know what they are supposed to look like. They didn't suffer the same fate in this story that they did in canon so they should appear very human-like as they're still Fracción.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 **Karakura Town, Kurosaki Household**

Captain Ukitake rubbed his temples in frustration as he attempted to process the massive information download he had just received.

"Wait...wait...let me review this. To make sure I have it all straight." Jūshirō grumbled irritably.

"Sure. Go ahead." Isshin replied in a sagely voice with arms crossed and eyes closed.

"Aizen has been running illegal hollow experiments behind our backs for over a century and when you two found out he framed the both of you for treason?" The captain said while looking at the other two men sitting at the table.

Kisuke smiled behind his trademark white bamboo fan. "Well specifically he only framed me, but Tessai performed a forbidden kidō to help save the lives of those Aizen experimented on so it just made sense to bring him along too." The ex-captain of the 12th division answered in a happy go lucky voice.

"Those he experimented on being the four shinigami captains, three vice-captains, and second in command of the kidō corps who we presumed to all have died a hundred years ago." Ukitake said in a 'asking for confirmation' sort of way.

"That is correct captain Ukitake. Unfortunately we cannot share with you their location." Tessai responded as he refilled everyone's tea.

"And captain Shihōin has been hiding with you all this time as well?"

"Course I've been here." Yoruichi commented derisively from the corner of the room. "Where did you think I was?"

"I honestly just thought you were killed by the infamous Urahara Kisuke as well." Ukitake commented dryly.

"Oh! You wound me Jūshirō! I thought we were friends." Urahara exclaimed with faux offense.

Ukitake ignored the comedic outburst. "And THEN eighty years after that, captain Shiba became stranded in the human world because of a similar experiment of Aizen's? An incident with which you refuse to share the details of."

"Yes yes. It's family business after all." Isshin nodded.

"Your human family?"

"Yes. Two daughters and a son."

"Your son that took Rukia's shinigami powers and started this whole fiasco?"

"Correct."

Ukitake's hands rose to rub his temples again. "Okay...Okay okay... I think I've got it. Is that almost everything?" Ukitake asked almost pleadingly.

"No. We still need to go over a mystical artifact known as the Hōgyoku, Aizen's more than likely creation of an army of Arrancar and what we currently believe his end goal to be. The sacrificing of this city, it's spiritually enriched land and all the souls within it to create his own copy of the Ōken. The King's Key that will permit him entrance to the realm of the Soul King." Kisuke commented in a still far too cheery voice.

Ukitake sighed morosely and slumped his head down onto the wooden table. Suddenly looked his age as one of the four eldest captains currently serving in the Gotei 13. "...this is going to be the longest report I'll ever have to write in my life."

* * *

 **Hueco Mundo, Las Noches Medical Room, Three Days Later  
**

Ichigo and Chad had been in Hueco Mundo for close to a week now. Each of their days started with a pretty similar routine. Wake up in their overly drab living quarters, eat whatever food seemed to miraculously appear on a tray outside their doors and then proceed to get the ever-loving shit kicked out of them in training.

Currently the two were in preparations to begin that third part again.

A nondescript Arrancar finished working on the torso and moved his hands upward to a gash on Ichigo's arm that hadn't healed from the night of rest. The young shinigami winced slightly as the Arrancar's hands glowed with a pale green energy and he felt the wound stitch itself back together. After a few seconds the cut had sealed shut as though it was never there.

"You are now cleared for combat." the plain looking Arrancar said in a mono-tone.

Ichigo clenched his fists a few times and smiled. "Damn that's impressive. You work even faster then my friend Hanatarō. I could do without all the stinging though."

"Is this one's work unsatisfactory?" it asked in the same lifeless voice.

"What? No! I didn't say that. I only meant that-Hey!" Ichigo called out to the Arrancar that had stood up and was now stepping away.

"Yes? How can this one assist you?" The Arrancar turned and asked.

"Um...I Just...Didn't get your name is all." Ichigo mumbled.

"This one's name is No. 92." With that the Arrancar bowed once and walked away to parts unknown.

"What a weird guy..." Ichigo whispered to himself. "What do you think Chad?"

Chad nodded in agreement as he gestured to his own departing medic that had acted about the same way. "Those two aren't the only odd ones I've noticed. The one who brought me dinner last night was just as blank. It's as though there's a whole slew of Arrancar staffing this place that have been emotionally castrated. There's clearly something going on that we aren't aware of."

"Hmmm..." Ichigo puzzled to himself. "Well...we'll worry about figuring that out later. Nel and the others are expecting us soon. You ready to head back into the fray?"

Chad shot Ichigo his signature thumbs up of approval.

"Me too big guy. I got a good feeling about today."

* * *

 **Hueco Mundo, The Desert Just Outside Las Noches, Later That Day**

Tensa Zangetsu pushed against Neliel's blade and a few orange sparks shot free from the grinding of metal on metal. The two combatants grinned at each other with mirth shining in their eyes. Their faces only about a foot apart.

"You still bored with me?" Ichigo asked with a wide smirk.

"Well...you've gotten a little better I suppose." she teased back.

"Does that mean you're going to release your zanpakutō now?" he asked, not trying to hide to excitement creeping into his voice.

"Ha!" Neliel laughed. "I said you're a little better. You've got a long ways before you can handle my Resurrección. You haven't even seen all my normal tricks yet."

"Oh yeah? What are you still hiding?" Ichigo questioned, calling what he believed was a bluff.

Neliel's eyes suddenly shone with a familiar whimsical look as she lifted one finger off the hilt of her sword. With a deliberate slow movement she repositioned it to aim at Ichigo's face. " _ **Bala.**_ "

Ichigo had enough time to widen his expression in surprise but not do much else before a small orb of purple energy shot off of Neliel's fingertip and exploded in his face.

Their swords separated as Ichigo jumped away from their clash with one hand now clutching his eye. "ARGH! THE HELL WAS THAT?"

"That was a Bala." Neliel answered in a voice entirely too saccharine. "While it doesn't hit anywhere close to as hard as a cero, it moves at over 10 times faster to compensate. Did you like it?"

"You could have blinded me!" Ichigo screamed indignantly.

"Oh don't be such a baby. I only used one finger. I'd need to build energy around my whole hand to do any real damage. Speaking of which..." Neliel snapped her sword back into it's sheath and clenched both of her fists in front of her. A thin coating of purple energy materializing around both of them. "We're going to try something different... _**Bala Barrage!**_ "

"Tch..." Ichigo suppressed a curse on the tip of his tongue as he started zipping around the sand dunes, dodging and weaving through the hail storm of energy bullets that Neliel was releasing against him.

Off to the side of the battle were two other Arrancar who were watching the skirmish with something between disinterest and sleep inducing boredom.

"Hey Stark." a diminutive Arrancar called as she sat next to her resting companion.

The Primera Espada yawned and scratched his side. "What is it Lilynette?"

"Why are we out here again?" she replied in a somewhat annoyed tone.

"I was just curious about the new guys is all." Stark grumbled as he laid back down with hands behind his head.

"You couldn't just check them out when they came back inside? I'm getting sand in my pants!" Lilynette asked in exasperation.

"You don't wear pants." Stark retorted calmly as he closed his eyes to take another nap.

"You know what I mean!" Lilynette bit back hotly. "So...we're out here...what do you think?"

Stark cracked an eyelid and glanced towards the shinigami now countering Neliel's attack with a black and crimson energy wave.

"...he's alright I guess." Stark conceded.

"And the other one?' Lilynette asked with a head tilt towards the other battlefield.

Stark craned his neck over his shoulder and watched as Chad sent off a huge energy blast that was slower than a cero of even the weakest tier of Número's in Aizen's army.

"...not worth my time." he sighed out as he shut his eye again.

* * *

 **Meanwhile With Chad….**

Yasutora Sado liked to think of himself as a stoic individual. That he could endure any amount of pain or hardship with a blank face and push on with nary a complaint.

That being said.

Pesche Guatiche was really starting to piss him off.

Said Arrancar grinned as he thought he saw a quick flash of anger in his opponents face. His orders from his mistress Neliel this morning still ringing in his head.

' _Get him mad Pesche. Madder than he's ever been in his life. His power seems to be tied to his emotions. His strength increase so far has been negligible. Knocking him around some more isn't going to get the job done. Get him mad!'_

"Why are you even here Sado? What's the point?" Pesche taunted.

"To fight with Ichigo! To watch his back as he watches mine! To protect him!" The giant yelled as he charged the Arrancar.

Pesche sneered as he sidestepped the man's punches with ease. "You mean like the way you protected your friends in Soul Society?" _  
_

"Oy Pesche that's going too far..." Dondochakka mumbled to himself from the sidelines.

"Shut up Guatiche!" Chad snapped with a rare bout of anger breaking through his usual cool demeanor.

"Or you'll do what exactly? What can you do with how _weak_ you are?"

"I am not weak!" Chad yelled as he continued to swing at Pesche. Just one hit. All he wanted was just one damn good hit.

"Yes you are." Pesche mocked. "Too weak to save your friends." Pesche ducked under a haymaker. "Too weak to help Ichigo. Too weak to get the revenge you so desire." The fracción swatted away a punch from Chad's human arm. "Hell, you're too weak even to fight me and I'm nowhere close to a captains level." The Arrancar then enunciated his point with a quick double-kick to Chad's chest forcing some distance between them.

As Chad slid away on the balls of his feet he glared at Pesche with a look of utter hatred.

And then his reiatsu skyrocketed.

"I! AM NOT! WEAK!" Chad thundered as he reared his fist back. His right arm was cocooned in blue light for only a second and yet by the time that second was over the limb had undergone an evolution. Gone were the little wings by his wrist and the solid red line down the middle. This new arm was a mixture of black and magenta with a large diamond-shaped plate protruding from his shoulder.

And still his reiatsu climbed.

With a roar that can only be described as primal he shot his fist forward and an absolutely gargantuan stream of energy erupted out of it.

Pesche was frozen in shock at the sight of it. It was so much bigger, so much faster, so much more impressive then anything he had ever expected to get out of the human. _'_ _I think I'm dead...'_

"Pesche!" Dondochakka screamed as his sonido carried him at the fastest speed he could manage and tackled his friend out of the way.

The blast ripped by the two with only a second to spare and continued onwards in the direction to a nearby sand dune. A dune that coincidentally had two Arrancar resting on it.

"Stark! Move!" Lilynette Gingerback yelled as she leapt high into the air to avoid the wayward attack.

"Mmm...don't wanna...too comfy...won't hurt me anyways..." The Primera mumbled lazily as he rolled over on to his side.

Stark waited half-asleep for the attack that would at most sting his backside, but when after a few seconds it hadn't come he opened his eyes slightly and glanced behind him.

That shinigami kid was standing in the way and pushing back against the energy wave with a reiatsu coated sword.

"Are you gonna move or not you big idiot!" The shinigami screamed at him, struggling to hold the blast back.

Stark sighed. "...fine."

While the Arrancar behind him climbed to his feet in the slowest and most casual manner possible, Ichigo reached the end of his patience at simply holding the blast back. He forced more reiatsu into Tensa Zangetsu and with great exertion punted the blast upwards into the sky.

As the energy flew away into the distance, Ichigo fell to his knees in exhaustion with sweat pouring down his face. That was way too hard of a task after he was already mostly drained from a full day of sparring against Neliel. And now for some reason he had a splitting headache.

Stark stretched his arms up like someone who had just gotten out of bed. "Thanks kid. I guess I owe you one...You're name's Sado right?"

"It's..." he paused to pant a few times. "...Ichigo."

"Oh. I wasn't paying too much attention at the meeting when Aizen introduced you and the other one. Most times I sleep through them."

"Is that right?" Ichigo tried to joke. God this headache was getting bad quickly.

Lilynette landed down next to Stark with a confused expression. "Hey. Why'd you try and help Stark?" she questioned.

"...because it was the right thing to do." Ichigo replied as though it were obvious. Ignoring the now metaphorical sledgehammers pounding in his brain.

Lilynette stared at the boy incredulously before chuckling at the ridiculousness of the idea. Selflessness in Hueco Mundo? It was a pretty rare thing. "You know, you're not too bad shinigami. Feel free to pop in whenever you want. It gets boring with just Stark around." Lilynette then disappeared with sonido before she could get a reply.

Stark sighed yet again. "Damn it Lilynette...I'd have preferred to walk...Well...I guess I'll be seeing you Ichigo." Stark said before vanishing in his own buzz of sonido.

Just to be replaced almost instantly by Chad and Neliel running up to him.

"Ichigo! Are you alright?" Chad asked fraught with concern, momentarily forgetting that he was furious not a minute ago.

"Yeah...I'm fine...It's just this headache..." Ichigo stammered as he held both hands to his head.

"I can fetch a medic if you'd like." Neliel said, trying to hide the worry in her voice.

"No...no...It's leaving now...I think I'm goo-" Ichigo's eyes went blank as he passed out and fell face first into the ground.

And something else finally broke free.

The wind picked up speed around Ichigo's prone form as hollow reiatsu suddenly began to pour out of him. The air became thick and heavy, forcing Chad down to one knee from its weight pressing down on him. Neliel's breath hitched as shards of white started manifesting in the air above the left side of Ichigo's face and latched onto him.

Ichigo snapped upwards revealing a manic face with one-fourth of a hollow mask covering it. The hollow reiatsu still increasing as the creature started to cackle with madness.

"Dondochakka! Get Sado out of here!" Neliel ordered as she drew her sword.

Said Arrancar appeared with a flash and latched onto the human before any objections could be made."Yes mistress Neliel." Dondochakka then buzzed away with his passenger just as quick as he came.

" **Hehehehehehehehehe so this is Hueco Mundo! Ahhh I love it! The air is so wonderful here! So rich! I can't believe it took me this long to take over!** **Thanks for softening him up by the way. I couldn't have done it without ya!** " The being exclaimed as the mask expanded towards Ichigo's jawline.

"Who are you?" Neliel demanded angrily with sword raised.

" **Me?** " The creature questioned. " **I ain't got a name!** " **  
**

And then he charged.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 **Hueco Mundo, The Desert Just Outside Las Noches**

Ichigo closed the distance between the two combatants in an instant and swung Tensa Zangetsu in a wide slash. Neliel blocked the move with an intention to parry but was entirely unprepared for the increased physical strength Ichigo's body now seemed to possess.

Ichigo's strength overwhelmed her own, forcing the Espada to start sliding backwards.

"Where...is...Ichigo?" Neliel ground out as she struggled to push back against her opponent's blade.

" **Heheeheheeheheehe** " Ichigo continued to cackle. " **He's stepped out for the moment** **! But you don't need to worry about him! All that matters right now is I'm finally the one in charge!** "

Suddenly the being changed tactics by disengaging from the clash and jumping into the air above.

" **Hyeh!** " he screamed, slashing his sword downward and releasing a black and crimson getsuga.

"That won't work!" Neliel yelled as she held her palm high, quickly charging a purple cero to intercept the attack.

The two blasts met in mid-air, creating an explosion which obscured the fighters view of each other.

" **It already has!** " a voice screamed as Neliel felt a hand clamp down on her shoulder from behind.

She only had enough time to turn her head in shock towards her attacker before the black blade came down again and consumed them both in a pillar of black reiatsu.

After a few seconds Neliel jumped out the side of the tower, trailing smoke and black flame-like reiatsu that had clung to her as she exited. She was panting heavily and her pristine white suit had burned away in several places.

The pillar finished dissipating entirely revealing Ichigo standing in the middle perfectly unharmed. The white mask still spreading as it crept slowly across his jawline.

On the sidelines Chad, Dondochakka, and Pesche all watched in disbelief at the exchange so far.

"Mistress Neliel is losing..." Dondochakka mumbled as he gnawed on his thumb.

"No. She's still got plenty of cards left to play. Above all she still has her Resurrección." Pesche said. Sounding more like trying to convince himself than stating a fact. Pesche glanced to the human next to him who was watching the fight with fists clenched painfully tight. "Hey Sado. Are we good? You know I was just trying to get a rise out of you in our fight right?" he asked cautiously.

"Not right now Pesche!" Chad nearly spat out as he focused on Ichigo.

"Ah. Right. Not the best time." Pesche conceded.

Down on the battlefield Neliel was trying to pin down her foe by firing off half-powered cero's in quick succession.

" **You aren't ever going to beat me with little shots like those!** " the being taunted as he dodged them easily. " **Try this one on for size!** " He pulled Tensa Zangetsu back and let the familiar black and crimson coat the blade again. However instead of releasing the getsuga he pushed more and more energy into the sword. The flames grew and grew until they extended behind Ichigo for several meters.

" **Here's a proper attack!** " Ichigo screeched as he swung his blade out and released a getsuga that was just under three times the size of the one's he had unleashed before.

Neliel stood her ground with eyes full of steel as the attack barreled down on her.

Then she smirked.

Just as the wave was upon her Neliel opened her mouth and breathed in deep. Ichigo's crazed grin fell to one of confusion as he watched the Espada _literally_ start to drink his attack. The energy all being funneled into her throat via some unknown mechanism.

"That's the set up for mistress Neliel's _**Cero Doble.**_ " Dondochakka commented on the side. "She absorbs her opponents cero and then sends it right back after mixing it with one of her own."

Pesche rubbed his chin in mild contemplation. "Ichigo's getsuga must be similar enough to a cero when he's in this state to allow the technique to work. Still, talk about a risky move."

Neliel finished slurping up the attack and reared her head back slightly. "BYA!" she snapped back forward and literally spat out a purple cero that traveled at a much faster speed than her traditional ones.

Ichigo's manic grin came back with a vengeance. " **Oh that is so COOL! How do I learn how to-** "

The cero connected and the colossal explosion that followed seemed large enough to reach all the way into the sky. A shockwave spread out from the impact, kicking up sand and rock in every direction. Neliel's hair blew about wildly in the artificial wind as she waited to see what had become of her opponent.

When the devastation cleared she could only frown. His clothes were in tatters and he was favoring one side in his stance but he seemed to be in relatively good condition.

" **Yes! More! Give me more! This exquisite feeling! The thrill of battle! I want MORE!** " Ichigo screamed. The mask now spread over two-thirds of his face.

"Before the day is done I will have made you regret asking for that." Neliel promised as she held her zanpakutō out in front of her. " _ **Declare, Gamuza.**_ "

The blade shone a brilliant pink and seemed to waft off smoke of the same color. Then in an instant, a massive orb of purple reiatsu burst into form around her. During it's brief existence the sphere expelled an incredible amount of energy; like a bomb going off in the middle of the Hueco Mundo desert. Ichigo was forced to raise his arms over his face to protect his eyes from flying debris.

The orb cleared away and revealed a new version of Neliel. She was now in a centaur's body and the horns of her hollow mask had unfolded. Her weapon now taking the shape of a double sided silver lance.

Ichigo whistled in appreciation. " **Riding you takes on a whole 'nother meaning now doesn't it?** "

"So crude..." Neliel dismissed in a whisper as she raised her weapon to launch it.

" **Heheeheheehehee I'm getting excited now!** " The being cackled again. " **You're so much stronger than you were a second ago! I can't wait-** "

Ichigo's free hand shot upwards and started clutching at the edge of his mask. ' _GIVE ME BACK MY BODY!'_ a voice suddenly demanded from inside his head.

" **What! No! No! Not yet! I just got out! It isn't fair! Just give me a little more time!** " Ichigo begged as he started writhing and flailing around.

Neliel cocked an eyebrow at the display and lowered her lance back down.

" **What? Are you worried about your little girlfriend? I wasn't going to kill her I swear! I was only going to rough her up a bit! Just some good old-fashioned fun! Don't make me go back in there! Please! I just wanted to be the one in control for once! Is that so wrong? You've had your turn and now it's mine!** "

The mask started to crack and splinter as the hand pulled harder and really started to wrench it off his face.

" **I'll remember this Ichigo! I'll make you regret it! If you can't share then I will become the King! I'll be ba-ARRRGGHH!** " The being shrieked in pain as the mask finally broke away entirely and crumbled into small porcelain shards on the ground.

The yellow color vanished from Ichigo's eyes and he collapsed to his knees in exhaustion. He stared at the ground as he tried to regain control of his breathing. He vaguely registered a trotting noise approaching him and by the time he got his bearings Neliel was standing above him.

He looked up and their gazes met. He tried to look apologetic but Neliel's expression remained unreadable.

"We are going to see Lord Aizen right now." she said in a demanding tone.

* * *

 **Soul Society, Captains Meeting**

Captain Ukitake finished his rather extensive report from his mission in the human world and stepped back into line to the left side of captain Kenpachi.

Each of the other nine captains took the news differently. Yamamoto was stoic as always. His eyes closed and his hands on his cane. Suì-Fēng had looked ready to murder someone ever since Ukitake revealed the whereabouts of Yoruichi. Meanwhile Unohana was the opposite with her hands folded inside her sleeves and her gaze pointed downwards in quiet contemplation.

Byakuya was attempting to maintain his air of nobility and failing as he processed the reasons why Rukia was put to death. He couldn't pick who to hate more. Urahara, Aizen, or himself for letting it all happen and doing nothing. Komamura's wooden mask revealed nothing but one of the captains could have sworn they heard him growl at one point. Kyōraku hid his face beneath his hat to not let the others see the deep sadness in his eyes.

Hitsugaya was torn between feeling pure hatred at Aizen for the depths of his schemes and worrying about his own job security since captain Shiba was found alive. Kenpachi looked extremely bored and ready to fall asleep at what was turning out to be the longest captains meeting he'd ever had to attend. Only the mention of a probable Arrancar army kept him somewhat focused. Kurotsuchi shared his enthusiasm for the possibility of encountering Arrancar however for him it was because of darker, crueler, and far more scientific reasons.

After a few more moments of silence commander Yamamoto cracked his eyes open and began to speak.

"The new members of Central 46 will not be taking office until the end of the month. Until that time it is within my authority as captain of the 1st division of the Gotei 13 to make the following decrees. Memorize them."

The other captains all straightened their backs a little and wiped their faces clean of lingering emotions as they prepared to receive new marching orders.

"First! Ex-captains Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihōin as well as former captain of the kidō corps Tessai Tsukabishi are cleared of all charges or accusations of wrongdoing that occurred in the hollowfication incident a century ago. They will be invited back to Soul Society but are not required to leave Karakura town as they are the only ones who can contact the surviving shinigami officers that Sōsuke Aizen experimented upon."

Yamamoto tapped his cane once to the floor to signify that his words were now law.

"Second! Former captain Isshin Shiba now known as Isshin Kurosaki will be forcefully escorted to Soul Society to explain in person to me the reasons he chose to abandon his duty and stay in the human world. If I find his reasons to be lacking then both he and his family will be permanently relocated to Soul Society. Captains Unohana, Kuchiki, and Ukitake will be responsible for escorting him as well as informing the relevant parties mentioned in the first decree."

Another tap of the cane and Ukitake's objections died in his throat before he ever got to voice them.

"Third! All captains are to begin preparing their squads for wartime combat levels. We have no info on the extent or capabilities of the Arrancar army. The possibility of such a fighting force threatens the very existence of Soul Society itself and we will do whatever is required to prepare for it. If soldiers must train from dawn to dusk every day to do so then so be it. Losing is not an option the world can afford."

A third tap of the cane and Kyōraku sighed as all his free time for the foreseeable future vaporized in less than 30 seconds.

"Fourth! We are now seeking for capable shinigami among our ranks to fill our missing captain slots. If former captains Urahara, Shihōin and Shiba do not take up captain positions then we will need the numbers. Before I continue does anyone have any recommendations they want to make."

One captain stepped forward. "Yes commander. My best patrol leader in the Onmitsukidō. His name is Shūsuke Amagai and he claimed to have achieved Bankai around two years ago." Suì-Fēng stated proudly.

Yamamoto nodded. "Very well. Have patrol leader Amagai appear here in the morning. Captains Komamura, Kyōraku, and myself will administer the captain competency exam."

"Thank you commander." Suì-Fēng said with a quick bow and then stepped back in line.

"Fifth! The status of 'Missing' is hereby revoked for the runaway prisoners Ichigo Kurosaki and Yasutora Sado. For allying themselves with the traitor Aizen their right to a fair trial is now void. They are henceforth branded enemies of Soul Society and all captains are issued a 'Kill on Sight' order for them."

Ukitake grimaced as he realized he'd have to tell Isshin about that as well.

"That is all. Dismissed!"

* * *

 **Las Noches, Throne Room**

"So I hear you both had an interesting day." Aizen intoned with amusement clear in his voice. The Lord of Las Noches was relaxing casually in his chair as he overlooked his audience.

"You've already heard?" Ichigo asked in disbelief. "But how? We came straight here after it happened!"

Aizen's grin spread a little at the boy's naivety. "Is it not natural for me to have someone go investigate when a reiatsu spike is detected? Ulquiorra arrived to watch you all about a minute after Sado's powers evolved."

"Really? I...I didn't even sense him."

"Yes. Ulquiorra is quite good at not being seen when he doesn't need to be. Admittedly though you were all quite distracted at the time. Let us move on though. Sado. Your...development...is the simpler one. We'll address that first. Do you think your abilities have finally reached their potential?"

Chad summoned his new right arm and stared at it intently. "No… I know that this arm is stronger but it feels...wrong. Unfinished. My first arm felt right. Felt complete. But now that I've pushed through that barrier I have this inner sense almost screaming at me that I have more of a ways to go. Not only that...but now that I have time to focus on it there's a tingling sensation in my left arm when my powers are active. Like there's another ability just waiting to be found..." Chad trailed off as his gaze shifted to his left hand.

' _Fascinating. Perhaps you will be of some use after all Yasutora Sado'_ Aizen thought. _  
_

"Alright Chad!" Ichigo cheered. His mood temporarily uplifted. "Sounds like we have some fun spars ahead of us."

Chad smiled and gave his best friend a quick thumbs up.

"Marvelous. Simply marvelous Sado. It sounds like we need to find you a tougher opponent. No insult towards Neliel's Fracción but I don't believe they are a suitable challenge for you anymore. I will arrange for Arrancar No. 103 Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio to join you in your training sessions from now on."

Chad's grin fell. "I don't follow."

Aizen tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"Pesche and Dondochakka are Arrancar's 41 and 42. Wouldn't someone ranked in the hundreds be far weaker than them?"

"Ah. I understand. It seems you have not yet picked up on the numbering system here in Las Noches. The Espada which hold the number 1 to 10 are indeed ranked in terms of strength. However the Números are simply numbered by the order in which they were created; with the exception of numbers 90-99 which are reserved for 10 non-combat Arrancar that attend to various chores around the palace. Furthermore the ranks from 100-120 have been set aside to be used for members of the Privaron Espada. They are Espada that have been demoted for one reason or another. Usually due to being replaced by someone more powerful." Aizen explained. Sounding proud of himself for coming up with such an interesting system.

Ichigo and Chad turned to look at each other with the same puzzled look.

"Um...not to be rude Aizen...but that's pretty dumb." Ichigo spoke hesitantly.

"Terrible system." Chad added under his breath.

"What?" Aizen asked. Feeling genuinely affronted.

"Why have some ranked by combat strength and others not?" Ichigo questioned as he started to count off his fingers.

"It was a measure to stop infighting among the Números." ' _Although it really hasn't worked very well...'_ Aizen added as an afterthought.

"What happens if you get too many Números? Do you just skip from numbers 89 to 121?" Chad threw out.

Aizen's eyebrow twitched. "Yes that is what I would do." he answered, his patience wearing thin.

"Do you even have 20 Privaron Espada? What if you end up exceeding that number?" Ichigo asked ticking off a third finger.

"I have had seven. There is plenty of spaces still available." Aizen replied now thoroughly annoyed.

"What about when-"

"Quiet." Aizen demanded softly as the air suddenly increased in weight a thousand fold. The full brunt of his spiritual pressure crushing down on the two before him. Chad dropped to his hands and knees and while Ichigo managed to remain standing he seemed to have forgotten how to breathe.

Aizen released the pressure and the two started gasping for air.

"Your criticisms were not asked for and in the future you will do well to remember that this is my home you are guests in and my organization that you agreed to join. If I want your opinion I will ask for it. That being said...I will...consider...revising the numbering system to reflect the one the Espada operate under. Are we clear?"

"Yes sir." Ichigo and Chad replied as they looked at the floor.

"Good. Now Ichigo. Why don't you tell me about this inner hollow of yours? Aizen asked, now having returned to his default state of sounding amused while looking smug.

Ichigo suddenly looked nervous and wished to be anywhere else. "I...I'm not sure where it came from."

' _But I am'_ Aizen mused to himself as he remembered his experimental hollow 'White' attacking Isshin Shiba and the events that followed it. "Why don't you take a guess Ichigo? Surely you must have some idea of its origin." Aizen offered congenially.

"I...when I was being trained by Urahara he had me obtain my shinigami powers by severing my soul chain. By the time I found them my inner world was already collapsing. I only managed to avoid becoming a hollow by a few seconds. Could it have been born there?" Ichigo asked hoping for an answer.

' _I can work with that'_ "I see. It's certainly possible that a hollow was born within your soul that day. A being that is you and at the same time isn't. The hollow that you would have become had you been unsuccessful in becoming a shinigami. It exists buried in your soul like a dormant split-personality." Aizen lied smoothly.

Ichigo's eyes seemed fearful. "So what can we do about it?"

"This is the first time I've encountered a situation like this. For the time being I believe it best to adopt a wait and see approach. See if you have any more incidents and discover exactly what triggers them. What we need right now is more information." Aizen suggested while looking thoughtful. ' _And what I need is time to formulate some theories on what will happen when I use the Hōgyoku on you.'_

"I understand." Ichigo muttered dejectedly. "But we will deal with it eventually right?" he added hopefully.

"Of course Ichigo. Just as soon as we know more."

* * *

 **A/N: Shūsuke Amagai (the man Suì-Fēng recommended) is from a filler arc of the Bleach anime about Squad Three getting a new captain. Besides Amagai himself and maaaybe his top subordinate I will be using no other parts or elements of that filler arc. So if you didn't watch that arc (because let's be honest with each other here. Bleach filler isn't exactly great material.) just know that Soul Society is getting one more heavy hitter. He won't be too important anyway.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

 **Hueco Mundo, Las Noches, Ichigo's Room**

" **...AND WITH THIS I WILL BE THE KING! SO LONG ICHIGO!** " The hollow screamed in victory.

Ichigo snapped forward in his bed with a cold sweat covering his body. He tried to reassure himself that it was just a dream. Just another nightmare like the other ones. Unfortunately the faint cackling laughter in the back of his mind told him it wasn't a coincidence he couldn't sleep soundly ever since his run in with his inner hollow two days ago.

' _Why? Why are you doing this to me?_ ' he thought in desperation.

There was no verbal reply but instead an impression of a plan hit his mind. An Ichigo without sleep was an unfocused Ichigo. An unfocused Ichigo was a weak Ichigo. And a weak Ichigo was easy prey.

"Like I'll make it that easy for you..."Ichigo grumbled to himself.

He wiped the sweat off his face with his blanket and looked towards the clock resting upon the white dresser. It's bright green numbers the only source of light in the darkness.

' _2:18 huh? So that's...an hour and 40 minutes of sleep between the nightmares...shit. The gaps are getting shorter.'_

Not feeling like subjecting himself to more harassment from something invading his dreams Ichigo reluctantly swung his legs over his bed and began getting dressed for the day. He slid open his closet and saw a huge array of uniquely designed white clothing and of course a single shinigami shihakusho.

He briefly pondered wearing one of the white outfits. The material certainly looked comfortable and the imagined reactions of the others seeing him dressed like the Arrancar got a chuckle to escape his throat. However in the end he went with the familiar black.

As he slipped his arms through the sleeves he couldn't help but talk to himself. "You know I'm not sure if I should feel grateful or creeped out that someone keeps putting a fresh outfit in my closet when I'm sleeping…"

Ichigo exited his room and started walking without a destination in mind. _'_ _Nothing to do for a few hours. Might as well go exploring. Maybe clear my head.'_

Close to two hours later he began to really regret not doing this with a guide as he was completely and hopelessly lost.

' _Damn it. This is the fifth corridor I've found that looks just like this...or did I finally make my way back to the third one?_ _Why the hell would you design a place like this? At least put up signs!'_

"Hey you! Shinigami! This is all your fault isn't it!" a voice screamed at him from behind.

Ichigo turned around and watched as an Arrancar with serrated teeth and a green cloth wrapped over half his head stomped towards him. "You're the one who convinced Lord Aizen to change the number system aren't you?" he accused.

Ichigo blinked. "Wow...That was quick. It hasn't even been a full two days. When did this happen?"

"JUST NOW! LORD AIZEN HAD A MEETING WITH ALL THE NÚMEROS! WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF?"

"You guys had a meeting at four in the morning?" Ichigo asked incredulously.

A second Arrancar, this one with black braided hair and a mask topped by a long spike pointing to the right, approached the two in a brisk walk with his arms folded behind him. "You'll have to forgive Di Roy Mr. Kurosaki. He's a little upset at the moment over his new ranking. To answer your question though, I think you'll find that the 24 hour day means very little within Hueco Mundo. When there is no sunrise or sunset time just seems to blend together."

"You're damn right I'm upset!" The Arrancar now identified as Di Roy protested. "Before I was No.16. One of the oldest Números in Lord Aizen's army. I had respect. Seniority! Now everyone will just see me as the lowest ranking Fracción! Even that bitch Loly was laughing at me!"

"Um...not to interrupt...but who exactly are you two?" Ichigo asked.

The taller Arrancar turned to Ichigo and gave a courteous half-bow with one hand on his chest. "My apologies Mr. Kurosaki. How rude of me. We are both Fracción serving under Espada No. 6 Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. I am the newly designated Arrancar No.19 Shawlong Koufang and my comrade here is Di Roy Rinker who now holds the title Arrancar No. 44."

Di Roy huffed as his rank was revealed.

"Nice to meet you. Call me Ichigo. None of that Mr. Kurosaki stuff." he said while extending his hand.

"And you may call me Shawlong." The Arrancar said with a smile as he shook the shinigami's hand.

"So you both work under Grimmjow huh? I haven't really had the chance to talk to the guy. What's he like?"

Before the Arrancar could answer Ichigo's stomach rumbled and the shinigami looked away a little embarrassed. "...and do you know where I could get some food around here? I've been exploring the palace but I'm kind of lost." he continued.

Shawlong chuckled. "Yes Ichigo. If you'll just follow me. We can talk on the way."

Di Roy followed behind the two grumbling the whole way.

* * *

 **Soul Society, Commander Yamamoto's Office**

Isshin Kurosaki was marched through the double doors with spirit suppression cuffs over his wrists and three captains at his back. He was stopped at the center of the room and stared straight ahead unfeelingly at his former boss.

"Release him." Yamamoto said gruffly from his position in front of his desk.

Captain Kuchiki twisted a key into a slot on the side of the restraints and they snapped off with *click*.

"Leave us." The commander then demanded.

Captains Unohana, Kuchiki, and Ukitake all turned and headed for the door. Ukitake hesitated for a moment as if to say something but must have thought better of it and left through the exit without a peep.

Isshin rubbed his wrists where the restraints were a moment ago. "I suppose..." he started. "...I should at least thank you for having the courtesy to wait until my girls were at school before you had me dragged out of my own home at sword point."

"A coincidence." Yamamoto dismissed.

"You really are heartless aren't you?"

"I am whatever Soul Society needs me to be. I rarely have the luxury of compassion."

Isshin sighed. "What do you want old man? I told Jūshirō at my home that I was stranded in the human world."

"And that is the only thing you told him." Yamamoto countered. "I want a full briefing. Every detail. I want to know exactly how one of my most promising captains went out on a simple scouting mission, vanished, and then reappeared 20 years later with three children. Explain it to me." he demanded.

So Isshin took a deep breath and began his story. About how he was attacked by Aizen and an experimental hollow under his command that was possibly Vasto Lorde class in strength. He talked about a passing quincy girl saving his life and about how he gave up his powers to return the favor. For over half an hour he talked and talked until his tale concluded with his powers returning to him rather recently.

Yamamoto hmmed to himself as the story finished. "Do you know why your powers have come back after all this time?"

"I can speculate."

"Will you?"

"No."

Yamamoto huffed. "Very well. It doesn't affect my decision. I do not agree with your chivalrous choice to trade your powers to save the girls life. You were a captain of the Gotei 13 and you had responsibilities far beyond that of saving one human. Secondly, I feel the need to remind you that it is illegal for shinigami to father human offspring. The mother being a quincy only makes the transgression even more egregious. Although you yourself were powerless at the time your genetics were not. Third, you did not even attempt to contact Soul Society and explain your situation."

"So what? You gonna chuck me in prison for abandoning my post? Failing my sacred duty? Some shit like that?" Isshin scowled.

Yamamoto cracked his eyes open. "No. If Central 46 were in session I have no doubt that that is the decision they would make. However, for the moment I am in charge. What Soul Society does not need right now is to throw a captain class fighter away when we are at the cusp of war. You will be taking up the vacant captain position for the 9th division and you are confined to Seireitei for a probationary period of three years. You may leave only to partake in major battles and pick up your daughters this evening to relocate them to Soul Society."

"And If I refuse?"

"Then I will take your daughters from you and personally register them in the shinigami academy by this time tomorrow with specific instructions to turn them into the most heartless killers the Gotei 13 has ever seen."

"You wouldn't!" Isshin snarled.

"Try me boy. I am whatever Soul Society needs me to be. And what it needs from me right now is getting you to lead the 9th. Are we in agreement?"

"Fine. I agree." Isshin spat. "On two conditions."

"Name them."

"Yuzu and Karin get to live with me in the squad barracks. They don't have to stay with the shiba's in Rukongai. Any training they receive, if any at all, is done under my supervision."

"Done. And the second?"

"You will remove the 'Kill On Sight' order for my son immediately. Something which I'm sure you only put over his head to make me cooperative anyway."

Yamamoto allowed himself to grin. It was so nice when a plan came together. "Agreed."

* * *

 **The Desert Just Outside Las Noches, Later That Day**

Neliel frowned and lowered her sword back into it's sheath. "We're done for the day."

"What! No I can keep going." Ichigo protested.

"Ichigo. You're swaying on your feet. You clearly haven't slept much and on top of all that you refuse to enter your bankai. What's the problem?"

"I'm just trying to get more practice in with Zangetsu in his normal state. I can't just jump straight to my bankai every time I enter a fight."

Neliel narrowed her eyes. "You know how I feel about you lying to me Ichigo." she threatened.

Ichigo averted his gaze and swore under his breath. ' _How does she always see through me?_ '

"...I...I can't. He wants me too." Ichigo explained.

"Who?" she demanded.

" _Him_. I can feel him in my head. He's taunting me. Daring me to activate my bankai."

"Do you think he'll be able to grab control again?" she asked blankly.

"I don't know...maybe...I'll probably be able to hold him back." Ichigo guessed uncertainly.

"So if you think you can mentally restrain him what's the problem?"

"I might not be able to. He might get out!" Ichigo yelled as if that explained everything.

"And if he does then I will subdue him until you wrest back control. So I ask again. What is the problem?"

Ichigo hesitated a moment before speaking. "...he could hurt you."

Neliel sighed as her default look of impassiveness melted away and a soft smile made it's way to her face. "It's touching that you're worried about me Ichigo. Very charming. But our goal here is to train you. We were making healthy progress before _he_ appeared and we won't be stopping on his account. In case you have forgotten I am a member of the Espada and not some fragile little woman. Now release your bankai before I-"

A buzz of sonido interrupted her as Ulquiorra appeared in the space between the two. "Ichigo Kurosaki. Lord Aizen has requested your presence immediately. I have been assigned to escort you." he stated with an emotionless voice.

"What is this regarding Ulquiorra?" Neliel inquired.

His eyes briefly shifted to the lower ranked Espada. "I am not required to answer that. If you wish to know you may follow us." Ulquirorra turned his eyes back to Ichigo and placed his hand on the young mans shoulder. Then with another buzz the two vanished from the desert.

* * *

 **Las Noches, Throne Room, A Few Minutes Later**

Ichigo stood before the stone monument that held Aizen's chair at the top waiting for the man to appear. Off to the side of the room four others stood along the wall. Chad looked nervous for his friend and wondered what the reason for this summons was. Neliel felt the same only she hid it better. Ulquiorra stared straight ahead without looking at anything in particular and Chad's new training partner Dordoni felt out of place and was regretting tagging along.

Slow footsteps clicked on the stone pavement from above as Aizen appeared with a pink haired Arrancar at his side. Ichigo recognized the Arrancar as one of the Espada but couldn't recall ever speaking to him.

The leader of Las Noches sat down in his chair and rested his chin on his fist. "Thank you for bringing him Ulquiorra. You are excused. Dordoni, my apologies that you came all this way but this meeting does not concern you." Aizen said politely.

Ulquiorra left slowly and calmly without a word whereas Dordoni tried to leave with as much haste as possible while still maintaining a sense of grace. Let it not be said that he didn't know a dismissal when he heard one.

"Neliel and Sado. You may both stay. I have no doubt Ichigo would tell you both anyway."

"Tell me what exactly?" Ichigo spoke up.

Aizen closed his eyes and looked to be in thought for a moment. "Where to begin?" he asked no one in particular. "Tell me Ichigo. How important would you say information is when preparing for a war?"

"It depends." Ichigo answered noncommittally.

"Good intelligence is of extreme importance. There is a saying that 'knowing is half the battle' but I personally think that to be an understatement. In the years before I left Soul Society I installed a number of devices all over Seireitei as well as a few other areas of interest and kept them hidden through the use of a custom kidō. These devices transmit information such as reiatsu readings and audio recordings to a control room here in Las Noches where several individuals comb through it for noteworthy intel. Unfortunately in my absence many of these devices have been discovered and subsequently shut down by the 12th division. However for at least the short-term future we are still getting enough information to have a good idea of what's going on outside this palace."

"What does this have to do with me?" Ichigo asked.

"You'll understand momentarily. Part of me wished to keep this from you but imagining your reaction if I did convinced me I shouldn't. Szayel would you please read the relevant readings from devices KT-018 and SS-237."

"Yes Lord Aizen." The Espada said as he adjusted his mask-glasses. "At 11:02 local time Karakura town three large reiatsu signatures appeared out of a senkaimon gate. The patterns matched with captains Retsu Unohana, Byakuya Kuchiki, and Jūshirō Ukitake. 12 minutes later at 11:14 the three reiatsu signatures disappeared back into the senkaimon alongside a fourth much lower reiatsu pattern that our database did not recognize."

Ichigo's eyes widened fearfully as he made a guess as to what was coming next.

"Next. At 12:49 a conversation was recorded between two mid-ranking shinigami officers outside the 1st divisions barracks. They subject of their conversation was that captain Isshin Shiba who has been missing in action for two decades was brought in to seireitei with spirit suppression cuffs over his wrists and was being escorted by sword point to the captain-commanders office by three captains. Would you like me to read the actual transcript Lord Aizen?"

"No Szayel. I do not believe that to be necessary. Please return to your station and keep me up to date on further developments."

"Of course Lord Aizen." Szayel said with a bow before excusing himself.

Aizen looked back at Ichigo and found the boy shaking and trying to decide between being angry or terrified. "What are they going to do to him?" Ichigo asked.

The room was silent as Aizen thought about the different types of answers he could give. One answer would calm the boy. Another could increase his hate of Soul Society even further. Another might just keep him feeling jittery and unsettled until further information came. A fourth option was just telling the boy the truth that they were probably going to try and recruit his father for the upcoming conflict. Then there was...Ohhh...that could work.

Aizen shifted in his seat and put on an air of being worried and concerned on Ichigo's behalf. "It is likely that they will imprison him just as they did you and Sado before they execute him. Yamamoto has never been forgiving to those who abandon their post. A man of Isshin's political stature could serve as an example to all the rank and file shinigami that not even ex-captains are safe from breaking the law. I'm sorry Ichigo."

"NO!" Ichigo blurted out in a panic. "I will not let that happen! How long before they kill him?" Ichigo demanded.

"The standard wait time in this scenario is 5 days." Aizen answered without missing a beat.

"Then I have time to save him! How do I get to Soul Society from here?" Ichigo asked desperately.

Aizen looked at the boy with sorrow. "You know I can't let you leave Ichigo. Not with your inner hollow situation being what it is."

Ichigo's face switched from desperate pleading to hardened steel instantly. "Fine. I'll find my own way out." Ichigo spat.

He turned around and marched towards the door only for Neliel to walk out and block his path. "Lord Aizen is right Ichigo. Going to Soul Society like this will only get you killed. You're a little stronger than when you arrived here but it isn't enough. Especially with you low on sleep and afraid to use your bankai."

"Get out of the way Nel." Ichigo demanded coldly.

Neliel winced at the tone that came alongside the shortened name that he had previously only used when they teased each other during sparring. "I will not. I have grown...fond...of you. I am not going to stand aside and let you march to your death." she declared as she drew her sword.

Chad transformed his right arm but didn't know if he should fight alongside his best friend or help Neliel prevent him from doing something stupid. He promised to follow Ichigo wherever he went but at the same time he'd rather have Ichigo pissed at him than dead.

Aizen raised his spiritual pressure a little to remind the others that he was still in the room. Not enough to incapacitate but enough to get all their attention back on him. "Ichigo. I believe you misheard me. I said I can't let you leave because of your hollow situation. If that situation were to change then my decision would as well."

Ichigo's anger was replaced by confusion and then just as quick shifted to hope. "You mean you know how to get rid of it?"

"Get rid of it? No. But there is something I would like to try." Aizen proclaimed as he reached into his pocket and held out the Hōgyoku between two fingers. It's inner flame glinting beautifully for all to see.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 **Karakura Town, Kurosaki Household**

"What do you mean we have to be out by the end of the day goat-face?" Karin snarled at her father. "We can't just up and leave in the middle of the school year!"

"Dad what about all our friends? Can't we wait a few days to say goodbye? We can throw a farewell party. I'll even do all the cooking! You won't have to do any of it! Please! Just a few days!" Yuzu pleaded with tears in her eyes.

Isshin's frown deepened and he cast an asking glance at captain Unohana standing in the corner. His escort looked saddened and apologetic but silently shook her head in the negative anyway.

"I'm so sorry girls. I'm so so sorry. But it has to be today. You can write some letters to your friends but we don't have time to visit them." Isshin said barely holding it together himself. Nothing made him feel lower than causing his children to cry.

Yuzu sank to her knees and started bawling her eyes out while Karin sniffled with fists clenched so tight her knuckles turned white.

"I'll go start packing." Karin said with a shaky voice, just barely holding the angry tears in.

Kon stood up from the couch in Ichigo's human body and wordlessly picked Yuzu up and started carrying her to her room. The young blonde crying into his shoulder as he moved.

If Unohana thought it strange that the mod-soul in Ichigo's body was acting independently then she chose not to mention it.

"Could you wait outside Retsu?" Isshin asked quietly with one palm over his eyes.

Captain Unohana gave a slight bow and walked towards the front entrance. As soon as the door was closed behind her she heard Isshin smash a dining chair to pieces in frustration.

* * *

 **Hueco Mundo, The Desert Just Outside Las Noches**

"Why'd we have to come all the way out here? Don't you have a place inside to do this?" Ichigo asked in irritation.

"Your situation is a unique one Ichigo. I cannot be certain that your reaction to the Hōgyoku will not be adverse. It would be troublesome if the usual chambers I use the Hōgyoku in were to be damaged. This is just a precaution." Aizen answered.

Ichigo scratched the back of his head. "Okay. I guess that makes sense. But do I have to do this in front of an audience? I feel like a freaking lab rat!" Ichigo exasperated while gesturing to the five other people watching besides Chad and Neliel.

Aizen chuckled. "Pay them no mind Ichigo. Zommari I have asked to be here in case you get a little rambunctious during the process. Szayel is a scientist like myself who I couldn't keep away from this even If I wanted to. Gin and Stark are just curious to see what will happen and Lilynette simply goes everywhere Stark does."

Ichigo sighed. "Can you at least give me an idea of what to expect?"

' _I wish I knew. Will you become an Arrancar? A shinigami with hollow powers like Tōsen did? Will you and the hollow fuse into a new soul? Perhaps you will become something new entirely?_ _I haven't felt such excitement about the unknown in a long time.'_ "My apologies Ichigo. You'll just have to figure it out yourself. You have my full confidence that you'll get through this."

"You said it was like a dormant split-personality right? That it is me but it isn't me?" Ichigo asked.

"Those are the words I used." Aizen confirmed.

"Think there's any chance I can make a deal with him? Come to some sort of agreement?" Ichigo said, trying to put some sort of plan together other than just 'winging it'.

"Anything is possible."

Ichigo closed his eyes, straightened his back, and took a few deep breaths. "Alright. I'm ready."

Aizen removed the Hōgyoku from his pocket and placed it flush against Ichigo's chest. The marble shone a brilliant purple and blue light as the process began.

Ichigo's eyes shot open and a guttural scream escaped his throat as a hollow mask instantly formed around his face and a hollow hole ripped open his chest.

* * *

 **Ichigo's Inner World**

Ichigo opened his eyes and took in the familiar view of his inner world. Sideways skyscrapers covered the landscape and a clear blue sky with clouds drifting along lightly hung overhead.

' _Or maybe the skyscrapers are straight and I'm the one who's sideways. Maybe Zangetsu could tell me which._ ' he mused to himself.

" **Yo.** " a familiar voice called.

Ichigo looked upwards to another skyscraper and his eyes widened at the sight of an inverted version of himself. A white Ichigo with yellow and black eyes who was holding a copy of Zangetsu with it's colors reversed. Ichigo quickly glanced around for the sight of another familiar face but couldn't find who he was looking for.

"Where's old man Zangetsu?" Ichigo questioned as he narrowed his eyes.

" **Heh. He won't be bothering us today. This is between you and me. Best prepare yourself Ichigo.** " The white Ichigo proclaimed as he pointed his sword out menacingly.

Ichigo's hand shot up to the hilt of his own blade in preparation to defend himself. "Wait! Maybe we can work out a-" His sentence was cut off as the hollow lunged at him and the Zangetsu's clashed with a spray of orange sparks.

" **A deal? An agreement? I heard your little idea when you said it out there Ichigo. I hear what you hear and I see what you see. That's why I'll never accept a deal!** " The hollow yelled as it launched Ichigo away with a particularly powerful swing.

"What do you mean?" Ichigo gritted through his teeth as he skidded across the air.

The hollow spun Zangetsu around by its bindings and launched it at his opponent as a projectile. " **Can you imagine it Ichigo? Being trapped inside someone else every minute of every day? Having to watch them live their life while having no input on it? Trapped in the metaphorical passenger seat forever? I'm sick of it! Everyone else gets to live their life out there so why can't I?** "

Ichigo batted the sword away and jumped into the offensive. "So that's what you want? To be let out every now and again? We can talk about it! Be partners!"

The hollow pulled hard on his swords wrappings and returned his blade to his hand just in time to parry Ichigo's attack. " **And how much would you offer? A few hours a week outside my cell? A day? Two days maybe? Hell, even if you offered me a 50/50 split I still wouldn't take it! Don't you get it Ichigo? I WANT IT ALL!** "

* * *

 **In Hueco Mundo**

The small crowd watched as a white exoskeleton continued to pour out of the hollow hole in Ichigo's chest. His hands shifted into white claws and his orange hair started growing until it reached all the way down his back. The upper half of his shihakushō was torn away from his muscles expanding and a long white tail with a red tip was now protruding from his backside.

' _Fascinating. Truly fascinating. It appears to be an Adjuchas but the creature's reiatsu is the highest I've ever seen of that class. It's zanpakutō is still Ichigo's as well. Is this the end result or is the process still ongoing? If this is in fact the end can I turn this creature into an Arrancar? If I do will the Arrancar look and act like Ichigo?_ These were just a few of the questions racing through Aizen's mind.

Chad took a few cautious steps forward. "Ichigo… Is that really you?"

The beast looked at the person approaching it and let out an inhuman shriek. It pointed two fingers outward and started building a classic red cero on the tip of its nails.

Chad instinctive raised his right arm to try and block the attack but was pulled out of the way by Neliel instead. The red wave of energy passing them both by harmlessly.

"Hmm. It seems the beast is feral. Zommari If you would kindly restrain him." Aizen said impassively.

"At once Lord Aizen." The dark skinned Espada replied as he drew his own zanpakutō and held it flat in front of him. " _ **Suppress, Brujeriá!**_ "

* * *

 **Ichigo's Inner World**

"You really think I'll just let you have my body all to yourself?" Ichigo yelled as he snapped off a getsuga at his opponent.

" **You won't be able to complain once I devour ya! And as soon as I do I'm gonna start fixing your mistakes!** " The hollow replied as he countered with his own equally powered getsuga.

"What mistakes?" Ichigo demanded.

" **Really? You actually need to ask?** " The hollow demanded incredulously. " **You sicken me Ichigo! You've been living in the same place as Rukia's murderer and you've done nothing! I would have wrung his neck the first night! Aizen sweeps you up in his charisma or some scientific lecture and it's like you forgot he had Rukia burned alive!** "

"I haven't forgotten!" Ichigo protested. "I've just...put it aside for now. I'll deal with Aizen after I get revenge on Soul Society!"

" **Pathetic! That's a pathetic excuse and you know it Ichigo! When exactly is that happening anyway? When are we going to go kill Mayuri Kurotsuchi? When is this supposed war with Soul Society coming? A month? Six months? 10 years? Oh that's right! We don't know. You didn't even ask! Kurotsuchi could be experimenting on your friends corpses right now and you're content to sit here in Hueco Mundo and make goo goo eyes at the turquoise haired bitch with the huge tits. Not that you'd ever have the balls to make a move anyway.** "

"Shut up." Ichigo snarled angrily.

" **Aizen throws you some sob story about the Adjuchas and the evils of Soul Society and you turn into putty in his hand! You believed completely at face value all that stuff he said about Urahara and your father without bothering to check any of it yourself! And you actually have the gall to wonder why I want to take over! I've always known I was living inside an idiot but this is just too much!** "

"SHUT UP!" Ichigo screamed. His anger reaching a boiling point.

" **Shut up. SHUT UP! That all you got Ichigo? Why don't you make me!** " the hollow taunted.

"BAN-KAI!"

" **THAT'S NOT GOING TO SAVE YOU! BAN-KAI!** "

* * *

 **In Hueco Mundo**

The Adjuchas-Ichigo stood completely immobilized in the desert sand. A sun-shaped tattoo on his head courtesy of Zommari's Resurrección.

Aizen was waiting patiently for the beasts reiatsu to stabilize so he could plan his next move. In the corner of his eye a nondescript Arrancar landed down next Szayel and handed off a computer readout. Szayel glanced at the note, folded it closed, slipped it inside his outfit and then dismissed the subordinate.

Szayel approached Aizen leisurely and whispered in his ear so that the others would not hear. "My Lord, we're receiving a lot of chatter from Soul Society that two new captains are being sworn in later today. Isshin Shiba for the 9th and someone named Amagai for the 3rd."

Aizen raised an amused eyebrow. "Oh? The 3rd and the 9th but not my old post of the 5th? I'm not sure if I should be honored, insulted, or dismiss it as a coincidence. Well…no matter. I suspected that this was the reason they wanted Isshin in the first place."

"If that's what you thought then why tell the Kurosaki boy differently?" Szayel asked in an amused voice already knowing the answer.

"It was a convenient moment to propose using the Hōgyoku. I simply decided that there was no real reason to wait. Theories and hypothesis can only take you so far. Eventually one has to experiment." Aizen replied to his fellow scientist.

"And? What do you think so far of said experiment?" Szayel said while gesturing to the immobilized beast.

Before Aizen could answer the Adjuchas-Ichigo's reiatsu shot upward and the great khyber knife it held in one hand transformed into the form of Tensa Zangetsu.

Zommari winced a moment and a small bead of sweat formed on his brow as the beast he was commanding to remain motionless reached a level of reiatsu that was vastly greater than his own.

It was brief. Only for a moment. But Zommari could have sworn he saw the creatures free hand start to clench as if trying to break the mental binding. Zommari had never encountered an opponent who broke free of his ability and he certainly didn't plan on starting today. Two more of his eyes glowed and seals two and three adorned Ichigo's body. These one's over his arms.

"I think it's going marvelously." Aizen finally answered.

* * *

 **Ichigo's Inner World**

Ichigo flew away from the kick to the stomach and tumbled through the air. He got his bearings just in time to start bobbing and weaving through a flurry of miniature getsugas that the hollow was launching at him.

" **What's wrong Ichigo? Dodging all you can do? Where's all that fire and anger you had a minute ago? Weren't you going to shut me up?** " the hollow jeered.

Ichigo ducked under an energy wave and then shunpo'd as quick as he was able to the hollow's backside. He swung his sword down hard and fast but evidently not fast enough as the hollow spun around and caught his blade with his own.

" **Heh. Too easy.** _ **Getsuga Tensho.**_ " The hollow said with a vindictive grin.

The attack detonated point blank and for a moment both were consumed in a blinding red light that tore apart the skyscraper they were both hovering above.

Ichigo plummeted out the bottom of the light in a free fall. He smashed head first into a building and felt it shatter beneath him. He squinted as a wound on his forehead started bleeding into his left eye severely limiting his visibility.

The red light cleared away revealing the hollow standing in the air with a smile looking relatively unhurt. A tad singed from his own attack but still ready for more.

" **You know it doesn't have to be this hard Ichigo. Just give it up and accept that I will be King now. I won't tell anyone you pussied out at the end.** "

Ichigo stood back up and held Tensa Zangetsu out in front of him defiantly. "No! I can still win. I have to win! I still have people I need to protect!"

The hollow sighed and just shook his head in amusement. " **You poor stupid idiot….ya just don't get it do you? You will never...not ever...be able to defeat me. I have all the powers that you do plus the instinct to actually know how to use them.** " The hollow let out it's most menacing smile to date. " **Not only that. But just because I have all of your powers DOESN'T mean you have all of mine!** "

Ichigo's determined look changed to one of fear as his opponents power spiked. He knew he was losing before but he figured as long as the two of them were equal in strength then he had a shot of turning it around. Now he started to shake and his grip on his sword loosened as a horned mask began to materialize over the hollows face and his foe's power more than doubled.

" **You really shouldn't have brought me to Hueco Mundo Ichigo. This place has reminded me of** **what I truly am. If you have any last words I'd start thinking of them now. This is the end.** " The hollow said sounding deadly serious for the first time.

* * *

 **In Hueco Mundo**

The crowd had expanded a little bit since the Adjuchas-Ichigo's sword switched to that of his bankai. Harribel had come to investigate the reiatsu spike with her three Fracción tagging behind her as they always did. Rather than bother with inspecting what was happening himself the 2nd Espada Barragan had sent his best lieutenants in his place. Two Fracción named Ggio Vega and Choe Neng Poww.

"Agh this is so boooring. He's just been standing there." Appaci complained.

"If you're bored then you are welcome to leave. Not like any of us want to listen to you talk." Ggio Vega commented from the side.

"Eh? What was that pretty boy?" Appaci challenged hotly.

"I'm not going to repeat myself just because you're too stupid to listen the first time." Ggio replied smugly.

"WHY YOU-"

"Quiet. Both of you." Harribel commanded. "Something's happening."

Ichigo's body started to emanate a red outline with black and crimson colored reiatsu pouring out of him. The wind picked up and began to swirl about madly as the creatures power skyrocketed again. The black flames wrapped around him and the crowd stood captivated as each section of the creatures body transformed as the energy passed over it. The tail receded inward, the feet changed from beast-like to humanoid, the muscular torso toned down to Ichigo's normal build and the mask sprouted two horns as the red lines on its side morphed into two black lines going straight down over the eyes.

"Vasto Lorde..." Neliel breathed out in disbelief.

"This power...it's even higher than..." Ggio muttered in a panic before he felt a strong arm loop through his waist.

"We should back up." Choe Neng Poww said more as a demand than a suggestion as he carried his protesting friend away.

"Oy Captain Aizen." Ichimaru spoke up sounding a bit nervous. "Don't that look kinda like..."

"Yes Gin. It does." Aizen replied trying not to look excited. ' _That horn configuration looks exactly like that of the experimental hollow 'White' that I had attack Isshin Shiba. So I was right about that being the source of Ichigo's inner hollow? But why is-'_

Aizen's thoughts cut off as the creature raised its arm to eye level and inspected one of it's sun tattoos curiously.

"Zommari! I did not order you to release him!" Aizen barked.

The 7th Espada looked even more shocked at the development. Two more eyes focused their gaze at the arm in question and forced it back harmlessly to it's owners side.

The Vasto Lorde turned it's head curiously in Zommari's direction and stared directly at him.

' _Does he know I'm the one holding him down? More than that how is he moving in the first place? I've even placed my power on his head! He shouldn't-'_

Then there was only blood.

The Vasto Lorde had moved so fast that it looked akin to teleportation. His black sword cutting across Zommari's body diagonally and spraying what looked like liters of blood into the air.

Zommari screamed in agony and all the sun tattoos along Ichigo's body vanished. The Vasto Lorde raised it's sword again to go for the kill but found his blade's path interrupted by the zanpakutō's of both Stark and Aizen.

"Gin." Aizen called.

"On it." The fox-like man replied before grabbing the downed Zommari and rushing him away to Las Noches.

"Appaci, Mila-Rose, Sung-Sun. We're leaving!" Harribel ordered.

"Yes mistress Harribel!" The three chimed in unison before the whole group dashed away with sonido.

"I don't understand! Why does Ichigo keep changing?" Chad cried out in confusion.

"I don't know Sado but we need to get out of here." Neliel replied.

The Vasto Lorde disengaged from the blades blocking him and bellowed a primal roar into the sky. He pointed his head down and started charging a massive red cero between his horns.

Stark's eyebrows rose at the power behind the attack and quickly moved to grab Lilynette. Aizen however decided to test it. " _ **Bakudō**_ _ **#81: Dankū.**_ "

The colossal cero was stopped by the wall of kidō for only a half second before the barrier shattered and the blast continued onward unencumbered.

Aizen shunpo'd away at the last second and the cero detonated where he was originally standing. The explosion sent a pillar of fire into the sky that was taller than Las Noches itself.

Aizen reappeared behind the beast and tried to slash it across it's back only for the Vasto Lorde to turn around and catch the blade with his free hand.

"Incredible. Hierro tough enough to catch my blade and enough physical strength to hold it in place." Aizen commented, truly impressed.

The Vasto Lorde just roared in his face in response.

"Unfortunately I can't let you run wild or you may damage something important. _**Shatter, Kyōka Suigetsu.**_ "

* * *

 **Ichigo's Inner World**

Ichigo went tumbling through the air and crashed into one of the skyscrapers. The building split in the middle and began to crumble as it lost structural integrity. Ichigo got to his knees and planted Tensa Zangetsu in the floor to try and help him stand but was forced back down when the hollow grabbed him by the hair and smashed his face into the building.

The hollow picked him up by the rags that were his clothing, threw him lightly into the air, and then slammed his knee into Ichigo's midsection to send the boy flying.

Ichigo's mouth shot open in pain and the grip on his sword finally yielded. The black Tensa Zangetsu clattered to the ground at the hollows feet as Ichigo landed somewhere far away.

" **Look what you did now Ichigo. Dropped your sword at the enemies feet. Now that's just embarrassing.** " The hollow mocked as he reached down to pick up the blade. " **Couldn't save Rukia. Couldn't save your friends. Didn't even try to take revenge. You don't deserve these shinigami powers Ichigo. I think I'll take them all for myself!** " The hollow screamed cheerfully as the black Tensa Zangetsu morphed into a white one that was identical to the one he was already wielding.

Ichigo felt his power start to plummet as his shihakushō morphed from it's bankai state back into it's normal form. Then after a few seconds even that too was ripped away and Ichigo lay powerless on the ground. It was at that moment he knew he had lost.

" **YES! YES! IT'S MINE! IT'S ALL MINE! SOON I WILL BE-** "

The world turned gray and all time came to a halt. The clouds in the sky stopped moving and the hollow was frozen in mid-celebration.

Ichigo looked up from the ground confused as he heard some footsteps approaching slowly. A middle-aged man with dark shades and cloak billowing in an invisible wind materialized above him.

"Old man Zangetsu?"

"Get up Ichigo." The man demanded sternly. "We have a lot to talk about."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

 **In Hueco Mundo**

 **"** _ **Hadō**_ _ **#54: Haien!**_ **"** Aizen chanted. A small oblong blast of purple energy slid off of Aizen's sword and rocketed towards the stationary Vasto Lorde.

At the last possible second before contact was made the beast did a quarter turn and batted the kidō away with it's sword. The Vasto Lorde screeched in annoyance and fired a massive cero in the direction the attack came from. A cero that Aizen easily shunpo'd away from.

The leader of Las Noches reappeared in the sky and smiled down at his most recent experiment. _'_ _Remarkable. Even if I make both the attack and myself entirely undetectable with Kyōka Suigetsu he is still able to defend himself on pure instinct. A sixth sense that my zanpakutō has no dominion over. Now... how will it respond to this?'_

Three illusionary Aizen's appeared in the Vasto Lorde's vision each in a different position. One ready to defend, one chanting a bakudō spell, and the third jumping in to attack.

Way off to the far side of the battle, at a distance where Aizen and Ichigo were little more than specks in the horizon, the crowd had regathered and were focused intently on the conflict.

"What is Ichigo doing?" Chad asked to the group. "He's swinging at the empty air."

"That's Aizen's special power. His sword can trick the five senses. Make things that aren't there seem real while at the same time hiding the things that are. It's how he defeated my king." Ggio Vega answered bitterly.

"You may see nothing but we all see Ichigo combating three foes. Once you're under Kyōka Suigetsu's spell you are trapped in it permanently. There is no way to escape it." Neliel commented with a slight frown.

"So you haven't seen it yet huh? Better not get used to it. I'm sure Aizen will be correcting that any day now." The one Chad believed was named Appaci said.

"Why would he need to use his power on his own soldiers? Didn't you all join him willingly?" Chad asked perplexed.

"Some of us did." Lilynette started. "Stark and I were all alone for a long time and joining Aizen was the only way to be around others. We didn't know how to suppress our power until Aizen taught us so we ended up accidentally killing whoever we met."

"And for that we can never repay him." Stark added.

"Yeah...yeah...forever in his debt and all that. But others joined for different reasons." Lilynette said with a head tilt towards Barragan's Fracción.

"My king Barragan Luisenbarn has sworn to serve as Espada No.2. under Aizen's command. If that is my kings will then it is my will as well." Choe Neng Poww said in a tone that was somehow both emotionless and reverential at the same time.

Ggio Vega said nothing but let a scowl cover his face.

"But didn't Aizen free you all from the cycle of death that all Adjuchas have to suffer through? That's good at least right?" Chad asked, now confused about the origins of the Arrancar army.

"Yeah. I guess that's a positive. It would've been nice to have been asked first though. Aizen just appeared in mistress Harribel's home and told us all to serve or die. Well...that's not exactly what he said but it was certainly implied." Mila-Rose huffed with arms crossed.

With nothing to say in response Chad decided to simply nod and turned his gaze back to the fight in the distance.

* * *

 **Ichigo's Inner World**

"Get up Ichigo." The man demanded sternly. "We have a lot to talk about."

Ichigo took one more glance at the hollow above; frozen in time with a fanatic smile on his face. "What did you do to him?" he asked as he climbed slowly off the ground.

"I think that much should be obvious. I performed this same trick when you were losing against Kenpachi did I not? But we haven't time to dawdle on it. You cannot lose here Ichigo."

Ichigo let out a single sad chuckle. "You're a little late old man. I lost. He won. Ripped my shinigami powers out of me. Stole them...he stole you." he finished with a downwards gaze.

"Yes. He has stolen your shinigami powers...but he did not steal me." The man said cryptically.

"I...I don't understand Zangetsu. You're my sword's spirit. If he has my powers then he has you."

"I am not Zangetsu." The man said suddenly and then gestured to the hollow. "He is."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "Wha- but...I don't...then who the hell are you?" Ichigo demanded.

"I am a representation of the power you have had since a child. The power that let you see ghosts when you still lived as though you were an ordinary human. The power that let you break free of Rukia's kidō on the night you met her. Your friend Ishida Uryuu's power. Your mothers power."

Ichigo connected the dots but couldn't believe the result. "But that's impossible! My mother can't have been a quincy! That doesn't make any sense!"

"And why not?"

"Because the reason I could see ghosts is because my father was a shinigami! And if my mother was a quincy then there is no way she would've been killed by that bastard grand fisher!" Ichigo protested.

"Wrong. On both counts. Yes you have shinigami powers from your father but they lay dormant inside your soul until you awoken them in Urahara Kisuke's basement. They were entirely preoccupied with keeping your inner hollow contained. Not even a little power could be spared elsewhere. As for your mother I don't know what to say Ichigo. Sometimes accidents just happen. No warrior in existence can have their guard up all the time. This is something you've seen yourself. Rukia was a veteran shinigami of several decades and yet was critically wounded by the hollow that attacked your family the night she gave you her powers. A hollow that you then slew with ease despite having no experience even touching a sword before."

"If all of that is true then it only raises more questions! Why was there already a hollow in my soul? How the fuck is he the real Zangetsu?" Ichigo screamed.

"To your first question I do not have an answer. I was born at the same time that you were Ichigo and I can tell you with certainty that the hollow has simply always been there. I would guess that your father or perhaps Urahara can tell you why. I cannot know things that happened before we were born."

"Just another secret to add to the pile." Ichigo muttered darkly under his breath.

Old man 'Not-Zangetsu' didn't address the comment and kept speaking. "Normally shinigami are granted an asauchi to imprint upon as their powers develop. Asauchi's are blank swords that will eventually morph into a unique zanpakutō from exposure to it's wielders reiatsu. It is through this process that a sword spirit is granted life and a voice to speak with. However like so many other things you are different Ichigo. When you awoke your already significant powers you had no sword spirit to go alongside them. The hollow inside you made full use of this opportunity and immediately supplanted himself in that role. He bound himself to your powers, latched on like a parasite, and that is how he became Zangetsu. It is through this same connection that he fought you with your own powers and then subsequently stole them."

"If he's really Zangetsu then why did you say you were? And if I don't have one of these asauchi things then what sword have I been wielding this entire time?"

"The blade you wield is merely a construct I created in the same way all Quincy create their bows. It is naught but an empty shell for you to fill with your shinigami powers. It being a simple construct of spirit particles is the reason I could repair your blade after Zaraki Kenpachi cut it in two. As to why I claimed to be Zangetsu I had many reasons. But the main one is that I did not trust him. I sought to keep him locked away forever with you never being the wiser that he existed. Unfortunately as your strength grew so too did his own. I did not keep him imprisoned long."

Ichigo sighed as the puzzle started to make at least some sense. What kind of god did he offend in a past life to get such a screwed up one now? "Not that the inner workings of my soul isn't interesting and all but why even bother to tell me all this. I've already lost old man. You said it yourself. You're not strong enough to defeat him and I'm powerless now."

"Very true. Already I can feel my strength is near exhausted from keeping him frozen this long. But you can still win this Ichigo."

"How?" he breathed out dejectedly.

"He may have been in your soul since the day you were born but that doesn't change the fact that he is a foreign entity. Those powers do not truly belong to him. They're yours Ichigo. He can't have them if you don't let him."

Color began to return to the world and the hollow started to move again, albeit in slow motion.

"It's your power Ichigo. Just take it back." The old man said with a grin as he slowly dissipated into the invisible wind.

Time restarted fully and the hollow continued his celebration." **\- BE KING! I'LL BE FREE OF THIS DREARY PRISON!** " he exclaimed before devolving into fanatical cackles.

Ichigo looked up to the hollow that hadn't yet noticed Ichigo was back on his feet. He straightened his back and held an open palm out towards his opponent hovering in the sky.

He closed his eyes and evened his breathing.

His mind empty of everything but the old man's words. ' _They're yours Ichigo. He can't have them if you don't let him...Just take it back.'_

The hollows incredible reiatsu took a slight dip causing him to break off mid-laughter. " **Oy. Ichigo. What do you think you're doing?** "

A second dip in the hollows reiatsu came and Ichigo's black shihakushō reformed around him. The young man grinned as his power started to flood through him again.

One of the white Tensa Zangetsu's in the hollows grip began to shake and try to break free of the hand that confined it.

" **What is this? Stop! I order you to stop! I won! It's already over!** " The hollow yelled in a panicked voice from behind his horned mask.

Ichigo focused intently on his target and redoubled his efforts. The secondary white sword sailed out of the hollows hand and into Ichigo's. The moment his fingers wrapped around the hilt the blade returned to it's original midnight black and with a small burst of reiatsu Ichigo's shihakushō shifted to his bankai cloak.

" **So you've still got some fight in you Ichigo?** " The hollow questioned angrily as he recomposed himself. " **NO MATTER! My power is still far greater!** _**Getsuga Tenshō!**_ "

Ichigo watched without worry as the black and crimson wave of energy barreled down on him. Getsuga was his power...and his power could not hurt him if he didn't let it.

When the attack made contact there was no explosion. No damage. No outcry of pain. Ichigo simply absorbed the wave into himself and reclaimed a little bit more of his own powers.

" **Wha- How? How can you...** " Then the hollow sucked in his breath and his body language exuded fear. " **...you've been talking to** _ **him**_ **haven't you? When? WHEN WAS HE HERE! I SHUT HIM OUT!** "

But Ichigo did not respond. He just held his hand out again and kept pulling. Little wisps of reiatsu started peeling off the hollow's white cloak and started making their way to their true owner.

" **No! I won't let you!** " The hollow screamed as he rushed Ichigo in a mad dash. He thrust his white blade forward to impale Ichigo through the stomach and the shinigami made no move to stop him.

For a moment the hollow thought he'd succeeded. That the blade had landed true. But it was not so. As the white sword approached the skin of it's target it too began to peel away and the shards were subsequently absorbed.

Ichigo rested his hand atop the remaining two-thirds of his opponents weapon and it instantly shattered into wisps of reiatsu that flew into his hand.

The hollows white bankai cloak reverted back to the original color-inverted shihakushō he wore at the start of the fight. The horned mask tilted upwards to look upon Ichigo and even with his face hidden Ichigo could tell the hollow was scared.

Ichigo grabbed his opponent by the collar of his clothing and ripped away the last fragments of shinigami power that the hollow had dominion over.

* * *

 **In Hueco Mundo**

The Vasto Lorde suddenly froze in mid combat as it shifted without any warning to a comatose state and the black sword in it's hand dissolved into spirit particles.

Aizen raised an eyebrow in curiosity and hoped that this next development would be close to the last one. He ended his illusions and walked down from the sky to approach the stilled creature.

With the fight appearing to be over the crowd that had initially retreated began to advance once more.

* * *

 **Ichigo's Inner World**

After the white shihakushō was taken away the hollow's form began to shift. His build that had up until this moment mimicked Ichigo's changed rapidly. His hands disappeared as his arms became straight blades and his entire body grew shiny black armor.

Ichigo raised his sword up to renew the fight. His entire being thrumming with reclaimed power. The hollow looked ready to charge out angrily but then his stance unexpectedly softened. His shoulders seemed to sag and he sighed morosely.

"Are you yielding?" Ichigo asked confused.

The hollow chuckled sadly. " **Yeah...there's no point to this anymore…I can't win on my power alone. We could fight it out and I'd eventually lose. You get to be the King….and I get to disappear.** "

Ichigo looked at the hollow with pity. He was really expecting to have to keep on fighting. "You know...you don't have to. We can still make a deal."

The hollow shook his head. " **Such a thing was impossible from the start. Not with that damn Hōgyoku involved. You may not be able to tell but I can. It broke down the inner barriers that separated us. There can only be one. Neither of us is getting out of here till there is. I just...I wanted it to be me you know?** "

"Hold on. Are you saying if I hadn't let the Hōgyoku be used on me we could've coexisted?" Ichigo asked with a hint of regret.

" **Doesn't matter. I still would've tried to take over. I wasn't lying when I said I wanted it all. I thought I could be like all those Arrancar out there. With my instincts combined with both our powers I could've been a King….Oh well….guess you'll just have to do it in my place.** " With those words the hollows feet began to disintegrate into little orbs of light that fluttered towards Ichigo's chest.

"Hey! Wha-what are you doing?"

The hollow laughed his signature cackle as the disintegration reached his knees. " **Weren't you paying attention? There can only be one! And if it isn't going to be me I'm gonna make damn sure you're the best one you can possibly be. Take it all Ichigo. My powers! My strength! MY INSTINCTS!** " The hollow proclaimed loudly as the dissolving light now hit his waist.

"Wait! I still have questions! Who are you really? Where did you come from?" Ichigo shouted out.

The hollow grinned knowingly." **Me? Don't you remember? I ain't got a name!** **But don't worry about me Ichigo! You got things to do! Revenge to take, questions to ask, and an Espada to stop dragging your heels over. So long Ichi-** " The hollow was cut off as the light reached his head and he vanished entirely.

Ichigo stood staring at the spot where the hollow had been not a moment ago. There was still so much he didn't understand. The hollow seemed to hate him at first but then submitted willingly at the end. He wanted to devour Ichigo but seemed to care about getting revenge for Rukia, Ishida, and Orihime on Ichigo's behalf. He was a creature of contradiction. ' _I guess there's some things I'll just never get the answers to.'_ he thought.

"Ichigo." A familiar voice called.

Ichigo turned around and saw the quincy spirit had reappeared. "If you're ready to go I can guide you back to the real world."

The young man thought about it but eventually shook his head in the negative. "There are still things I need to ask."

"I may not have the answers." Old man 'Not Zangetsu' warned.

Ichigo nodded but asked anyway. "If the hollow had taken on the role as my sword spirit what will happen now that he's gone?"

"I don't know. Perhaps a true spirit will form now that there's a vacancy. Or perhaps without an asauchi one will simply never come into being. You are in unknown territory. I can do naught but speculate."

"You want the job?" Ichigo asked nonchalantly.

Those four words threw the quincy spirit for a loop. "Excuse me?"

"Do you want the job?" Ichigo repeated more slowly, choosing to enunciate each word. "I'm a bit tired of 'unknowns' in my life right now. I'd like something a bit more concrete if you know what I mean."

"I'm a manifestation of your quincy powers Ichigo. I'm not exactly inclined to play nice with your shinigami side."

"But weren't you already doing that a little when you created my shikai and bankai swords to hold my power?" Ichigo questioned.

The spirit considered this as he looked down thoughtfully. "That's not...entirely...inaccurate." he conceded.

"Well there you go. The job is yours." Ichigo said with a smile while extending his hand.

The spirit grinned slightly and grasped the hand with his own. "Very well. I expect some concessions from you though. I may not have the intrinsic knowledge to teach any of the advanced quincy arts but I will insist you master the basics."

"Sounds like fun. Alright. Take me out."

* * *

 **In Hueco Mundo**

Ichigo opened his eyes to the strange sight of looking through the slits of a mask. He reached his hand up to feel it and ran his fingers along it's face and up the two horns on it's side.

He wasn't aware of it at the moment but all the muttering and various conversations of the crowd had ceased as The Vasto Lorde had begun to move again.

Ichigo took his hand off his masked face and looked at it intently. It was pure white and had red fur covering his wrist but strangely this did not alarm him. With a simple thought his arm returned to the normal color that it had had all his life and the red fur retreated into his skin as if it were never there. With another thought the red fur returned and his skin turned white again. With a smile on his face hidden by the mask he cycled through the forms twice more in the manner of a few seconds.

"Okay. I'll admit it. That's kind of cool." He said to himself. After speaking Ichigo turned his head to realize that everyone was staring at him. Not only that. But the small crowd that was watching him was very different from the one he had left behind before all this started. Ichimaru and Zommari had disappeared and five new Arrancar had joined. The only one he recognized was the dark-skinned Espada with blonde hair.

Before he could question what had happened while he was indisposed Chad spoke. "Is...is that you Ichigo? The real you?" he asked nervously.

"Yeah. It's me alright. Gotta say though. The past half-hour has been pretty interesting." Ichigo looked down at the gaping hollow hole in his chest and willed it closed. With naught but that mental command the hole did just that.

"Ichigo." Aizen started. "I'm sure we would all like to hear your tale about what happened after the Hōgyoku activated." he said in a pleasant tone.

Ichigo ignored him and looked over this shoulder and saw his hair had quintupled in length. ' _Uh. No thanks. Short please...Maybe I'll keep a little...I'll experiment with it later._ '

Aizen grew a little miffed as his implied question was disregarded but he did not show it. "Although perhaps you can tell us first as to how you're actively regulating your hollow features."

Ichigo glanced at him as he removed the horned mask and had it dissipate into spirit particles; effectively making his appearance the same as it had always been. "I don't know. It's just...Instinct."

' _Instinct? A hollow trait. Despite the physical traits disappearing the ratio of shinigami to hollow in his reiatsu has not shifted at all. In fact compared to when he was rampaging a minute ago they feel more...balanced? Is it more like Tōsen's or an Arrancar's? Neither. A true-hybrid? Is that even possible? His zanpakutō_ _is still missing as well._ _'_ Aizen thought. "Ichigo If you could kindly tell us what you experienced then we can-"

"Hey Aizen." Ichigo cut him off. "When is the war with Soul Society happening?"

Aizen blinked. No one had interrupted him speaking in quite a long time. "Two and a half months." he answered anyway.

"Two months. That's good. Anything new on my fathers situation?"

Aizen subtly narrowed his eyes at the lack of worry in the tone. The boy was far more collected than he had been before. "Yes. I'm glad you asked Ichigo. We've received confirmation saying that he has been conscripted into serving in Kaname's old position as captain of the 9th division. If you don't mind me saying Ichigo you certainly seem very calm about things." he said in a voice filled with fake pleasantry.

"I just know what I have to do now is all." Ichigo said as he walked towards the crowd.

"Is that instinct as well?" Aizen inquired.

Ichigo didn't answer the question as he approached his best friend. "Hey Chad. I've got some things I need to go check on. List of stuff I need to do. Hold down the fort till I get back okay? You need anything from your place while I'm out?"

"My place?" The giant questioned. "In Karakura town? How are you going to get there?"

"Like this." Ichigo said with a wide grin. He reached his hand out and seemed to latch onto the air itself. With a sharp downward pull a garganta portal was ripped open in the space next to him.

Many in the crowd gaped at the casual use of an exclusively hollow ability.

"You can control garganta's now as well?" Neliel questioned from the side.

"Guess so. Felt like I could do it so I did. I'm glad you're still here Nel. You're one of the things on my checklist."

"Me? What do I-"

Neliel was silenced when Ichigo put one hand behind her neck and gently pulled her lips to his.

For the first time in the entire history of Hueco Mundo...an Arrancar blushed furiously. Although they had the emotions that were capable of it; romantic entanglements were simply not found among Adjuchas and by extension the Arrancar that some became.

Eventually Ichigo pulled back and took immense satisfaction at how Neliel looked a mix between thoroughly flushed and a bit dazed. "Been wanting to do that all week." he said mostly to himself. "So what's it gonna be Chad. Need anything from your place?" Ichigo asked again.

"Uh..." Chad uttered dumbly after watching the stunt Ichigo just pulled.

"Ichigo. I would much prefer you stay here. We have a great many things to talk about." Aizen called, the smallest traces of anger and annoyance managing to break through his agreeable facade.

Ichigo pretended not to hear. "So that's a no Chad? Well I'll just grab the essentials anyway. I'll be back later."

The young man stepped into his portal and it slammed shut behind him leaving a great number of differing expressions behind him.

Aizen suppressed showing displeasure on his face as he was just summarily ignored. "Szayel will you please join me back in Las Noches? I'd like to discuss theory over today's events."

"Of course Lord Aizen." The 8th Espada said with a bow. "I have a few interesting ideas I'd like to bounce off you as well."

After the two disappeared with shunpo and sonido respectively, Ggio Vega and Choe Neng Poww left without a word to go make their reports to Barragan. Stark mumbled something about wanting a nap and started walking back to the palace on foot with Lilynette trailing behind him teasing him about possibly losing his number one spot on the Espada to the new guy.

Chad still stood dumbfounded at the events of the past minute and Neliel was experiencing embarrassment for the first time in her life as the other female Arrancar stared at her.

"Damn...if that's what a kiss can do to you then I need to find myself a man." Mila-Rose commented as she leered towards Chad and licked her bottom lip.

"Ha! As if someone like you could ever get a man." Sung-Sun laughed behind her sleeve.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mila-Rose growled angrily.

"She's referring to how your obstinate, loud, and just generally unwomanly." Appaci snickered.

Mila Rose scoffed. "Unwomanly? Like your one to talk miss flat chest."

"WHAT DID YOU JUST-"

"That's enough girls. We're leaving." Harribel ordered before buzzing away with sonido.

"Tch. Fine." Appaci muttered as she left as well and was then followed by Sung-Sun.

Mila-Rose lingered for a moment just long enough to send a wink towards Chad and then vanished herself leaving Ichigo's two friends alone.

"Should...should I be worried about that?" Chad asked to Neliel next to him.

Neliel was staring off into space as she ran two fingers over her lips. "Huh?" she asked not knowing what he was referring to.

Chad sighed. "Never mind. I'm going to go find Dordoni and keep training. I've got a lot of catching up to do."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

 **Karakura Town**

A tear in the night sky opened up over the town that had started to outgrow it's name. Now with a population of roughly 100,000 and growing every year it could finally call itself a small city. The young man stepped out of his portal and took a deep breath of the fresh air that he hadn't even known he was missing.

' _I haven't been gone even a month and yet it feels like it's been a lifetime._ ' the young man reminisced as a cool nighttime breeze washed over him. He stood there for a few moments as he mentally reviewed his list of things to do. Some of the words his hollow had spoken still fresh in his mind. ' _ **You believed completely at face value all that stuff he said about Urahara and your father without bothering to check any of it yourself!**_ '

Ichigo dropped down to the front of the big yellow clinic house he had always called home and opened the door with the spare key his father kept hidden in the third potted plant from the left. He peeked his head inside and looked for a sign that someone might still be awake. He wasn't exactly sure what hour of night it was. It wasn't like Hueco Mundo had timezones.

"Dad? Yuzu? Karin?" he called not sure if he was expecting an answer.

Ichigo checked in each of his family members respective rooms to find no one in their beds and signs that they had all left somewhat in a hurry. For each piece of clothing that was taken two more had been left behind. Some pictures and trinkets had been collected but others lay abandoned.

' _Well...they certainly aren't here. That much corroborates with Aizen's claim that dad was conscripted by Soul Society. He wouldn't leave Yuzu and Karin behind. It's not quite proof though.'_

In a small stroke of luck that proof he'd been hoping to find was sitting on the desk in his room. A short hastily scribbled letter lying next to a lifeless yellow stuffed lion.

 _Ichigo,_

 _Came home from school today and found a shinigami captain waiting with your father. Don't have all the details but it looks like we're moving to Soul Society. Karin's holding it together alright but Yuzu's a mess. I'll do my best to take care of them both until you get back. Least I can do since I'm still using your body. Hope this note somehow finds you._

 _-Kon_

 _P.S. I failed your chemistry exam in 3_ _rd_ _period. Sorry._

Ichigo cracked a smile at the troublemaker mod-soul finally doing something right for a change. Kon wouldn't have been his first choice to watch over his sisters but he was glad he was there all the same. The comment about school didn't bother him the least. Somewhere in his subconscious mind Ichigo had already accepted that a formal education just wasn't going to be part of his life anymore.

After procuring a duffel bag from a closet downstairs Ichigo went to grabbing everything of importance from his room. Clothes, mementos, a clock that actually had an alarm in it, and other small items. It was high time he started making his living quarters in Hueco Mundo feel a bit more homely. You could only live in a room full of nothing but pure white furniture for so long before you went mad.

Ichigo swung the bag over his shoulder and stepped back outside. He locked the door and redeposited the key back into it's hiding place. He walked out to the road and bent his knees to jump into the air towards his next stop when a giant crashed down onto the roof of the building across the street kicking up dust, dirt, metal, and snapping a pair of power lines.

"Ichigo Kurosaki! I knew if I waited long enough you'd come back here!" the building sized hollow fervently yelled.

Ichigo froze like a deer in the headlights.

He couldn't actually believe what he was looking at.

Because before his very eyes was Grand Fisher now transformed into a colossal Arrancar.

"I thought I'd have to wait so much longer for your return after I saw you leave with that captain earlier. If she wasn't there I would've slaughtered your whole family as revenge for what you did to me!" Grand Fisher said in delight as he imagined it.

For the first time in what would be many incidents to come Ichigo became aware of a duality that existed in his being. A duality that can only exist in a hybrid like him.

On the one hand he had many questions he wanted to ask. ' _When did you become an Arrancar? How long have you been trying to find me? How do you not know I've been in Las Noches?_ '

But all the while his instincts were screaming at him something else. ' _HURT! KILL! PUNISH!_ '

Ichigo dropped his bag to the ground and held his arm down at is side. Blue spirit particles gathered from the surrounding air and reformed the great khyber knife that he was accustomed to. The tight grip he had been holding on his reiatsu to not alert others of his presence loosened a bit and power started to roll off of him.

"Oh? So you've gotten a new zanpakutō? It seems impressive for sure but it's size is nothing compared to mine." Grand Fisher reached behind his back to grab the hilt of his sword. "Behold my zanpaku-AGGGGHHHH!" The imperfect Arrancar screamed as his foe vanished and suddenly his right arm flew off his body followed by a fountain of blood erupting from his shoulder.

"DAMN YOU ICHIGO!" Grand Fisher screeched as he clutched his new stump. "WHERE DID YOU GO? COME OUT AND -ARRRGH FUCK!" he cursed as his left leg came off next and he face-planted into the street upturning chunks of concrete.

Grand Fisher pushed up with his one arm to raise his head enough to look before him. Standing just two feet in front of him was Ichigo Kurosaki staring down at him with a completely blank look on his face.

"Curse you Shinigami! I'll kill you for this! I'll kill your family for this! I will not suffer this humiliation!" Grand Fisher snarled in an attempt to deny his own helplessness.

"Your information is out of date." Ichigo said emotionlessly as a horned mask formed over his face and his skin turned white. "I'm no shinigami." Ichigo reached his hand out and latched onto the side of the hollows face. Rays of bright red light escaped the gaps between his fingers and began to illuminate the dimly lit street.

Grand Fisher's face shifted to a mix of agony and panic as the charging cero charred the skin that it was flush against and destroyed one of his eyes. "Mercy! Mercy please!" he cried.

"No."

The cero vaporized the hollows head and then arced upwards into the sky so as to not destroy any of the town. The headless corpse lingered for a second before both it and the severed limbs nearby evaporated in the manner that hollows do when they are slain.

Ichigo had his sword dissipate back into spirit particles and returned all his features to their human versions. He let out a deep breath he hadn't realized he was holding and tried to process that he had just killed the monster that had murdered his mother and had devastated his life.

And it had barely taken 20 seconds.

He didn't get too far into his contemplation as a pair of footsteps approaching slowly from behind caught his attention.

Stepping out from the shadows and into a street light was a man with wooden sandals and all dressed in green. "Oh my. If it isn't Ichigo out for a late night stroll? I wasn't expecting to find you when I decided to stretch my legs tonight." The man said all too chipper with a white hand held fan covering his face. "It's certainly been a while hasn't it? I trust you're doing well?"he said clearly trying to mask his own nervousness at the encounter.

Ichigo said nothing as he looked impassively at the man.

"Err...right. Why don't we both go back to my shop? I'm sure there's things you want to talk about." Urahara said as his smile faltered a bit.

Once again Ichigo did not respond.

Urahara sighed and closed his fan with a little snap. The ex-captain of the 12th division carefully went down on his knees and adopted a pitiful expression. "I'm not sure what you've been told about me but please believe me when I say I am truly sorry for some of the things I did. Please Ichigo. Come to my shop and let me explain." Urahara pleaded as he bowed his head all the way to the ground.

Ichigo sighed. He still didn't know how to handle it when people acted like this in front of him. "Lead the way."

* * *

 **Urahara Shop**

Ichigo sat down on the cushioned floor as Urahara poured drinks.

"Where are the others?" Ichigo asked to get the conversation started.

"Yoruichi is in Soul Society until tomorrow. She followed your family to make sure they got settled alright. The rest are sleeping. It is 3 in the morning you know." Urahara replied as he set a hot beverage down in front of Ichigo.

"I actually didn't know." Ichigo replied as he sipped his drink.

"So..." Urahara started hesitantly. "...what has Aizen told you about me?"

"How are you so sure I've been with Aizen?" Ichigo asked as a joke.

"Well if you haven't then I would certainly love to hear who broke you out of your cell and where you've been. Yoruichi was quite upset that she got there just a minute too late by the way. Broke down the door just in time to see the garganta close." Urahara said with a light smile.

And so Ichigo shared with him everything Aizen had claimed on the day of their escape. That Urahara was exiled for treason over 100 years ago, that the Hōgyoku was at the center of a shadow war between them and the details of the burden Urahara had placed on Rukia without her knowledge or consent that ultimately resulted in not only her death but also the death of Ichigo's friends.

Urahara sighed sadly. "Well...I have to give Sōsuke points for presentation. There isn't a single thing in there that is untrue. It's just all out of context. For starters Aizen was the one who framed me for treason. He was the one who hollowfied those captains and vice-captains. Not me."

Ichigo's eyes narrowed. ' _Hollowfied captains?'_ "Explain."

"You don't know?" Urahara said in mild surprise. "I guess Sōsuke couldn't think of a way to spin it properly. Roughly a century ago the ex-captains of the 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th division as well as the vice-captains of the 8th, 9th, 12th, and the now defunct kidō corps were ambushed in an experiment of Aizen's creation. They all developed an inner hollow that tried to devour their souls from the inside."

Ichigo nearly spilled his drink at how strikingly familiar that sounded.

"Tessai and I tried to tell the leaders of Seireitei what Aizen had done but we were shot down for several reasons. First, Tessai had been forced to use a highly illegal kidō to save the lives of the hollowfied shinigami so his credibility tanked. Second, I was the one in charge of the research and development division of Soul Society so in their minds I was the perfect fit for a criminal who was running illegal experiments. Finally and this one is by far the most important, was the true ability of Aizen's zanpakutō. I need to know right now Ichigo. Has Aizen released his sword in front of you?" Urahara asked suddenly extremely tense.

"No he hasn't." Ichigo unknowingly lied.

Urahara let out a breath. "That's good. The final reason his framing of me was so successful is that his zanpakutō Kyōka Suigetsu is able to trick your five senses. Once under its spell he can make you see, hear, smell, taste, and even physically touch things that aren't there while at the same time completely hiding things that are. What's most terrifying about the ability is that it has no time limit. Once you've seen it once there is no escaping it. The only weakness I've been able to discern even after 100 years of thought is that Aizen needs to be actively thinking about what illusion he's showing and what group of people he's showing it to. At least I hope that's true. At the end of the day it's just a theory."

"How do you fight someone like that?" Ichigo asking thinking of the eventual confrontation he would have with the man in question.

Urahara shrugged. "However you can."

Ichigo nodded as he stored the information for later. "Tell me more about these hollowfied shinigami."

"The captains are named Shinji Hirako, Love Aikawa, Kensei Muguruma, and Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi although he much prefers you call him Rose. The vice-captains are three ladies named Mashiro Kuna, Lisa Yadōmaru, and Hiyori Sarugaki. The 2nd in command of the kidō corps was Hachigen Ushōda."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "You mean to tell me there's actually someone out there who's name is Love?" he asked while stifling a small laugh.

"You can ask him yourself if you like. They all live here in Karakura town. I visit them every now and again to make sure they're doing alright. Mostly they just keep to themselves and talk about the various ways they'd torture Aizen for what he did to them. I was going to ask them to help you with your inner hollow once you got back from Soul Soc…" Urahara stopped talking as he realized his slip-up.

"So...you knew I had an inner hollow as well?" Ichigo asked with a dangerous glint in his eye.

"I didn't know for certain! I only highly suspected it!" Urahara quickly backpedaled as he waved his hands in denial.

"How highly suspected?"

"Um...maybe 80...85%?" Urahara said sheepishly.

"And you didn't think that might have been worth mentioning?" Ichigo questioned angrily.

Urahara switched from comedic to stern instantly. "No. I didn't. Ichigo you had just obtained your own shinigami powers and I had very little time to train you on how to use them. I couldn't waste precious time having you freak out over a possible hollow buried inside you. You had a job to do."

"A job that you should have been there for! If you came after your precious Hōgyoku yourself then maybe everyone would have made it out alive." Ichigo spat bitterly.

Urahara sighed again and cast his eyes downward. "Yes…you are not the first to point that out to me. I should have been there. I offer no excuse to you Ichigo. I'll have to live with that mistake for the rest of my life."

The two men sat in silence for several moments with neither knowing what to say next. Eventually Urahara stood up and went to refill his drink with the kettle on a nearby counter. "So. Anything else?" he eventually asked.

"Tell me why my father was in the human world. I would imagine captain-class shinigami don't get to just abandon their post whenever it suits them."

"Not with Yamamoto in charge they don't." Urahara said with a little chuckle in his voice.

The shop owner sat back down and spun a new tale for Ichigo to hear. One that Ichigo didn't know anything about. A story about how a shinigami captain named Isshin Shiba was attacked by both Aizen and an experimental hollow and had his life saved by a passing woman trained in the quincy arts. The story went on to describe how the woman was infected by the hollow as it perished and only through giving up his own abilities was the shinigami captain able to repay his savior and save her life as well. As long as the two remained together then his powers would keep the hollow at bay and the girl could live a full and happy life. Many years later the remains of that hollows influence would be passed on to the first born child of the two. A little boy with orange hair.

By the time the story had reached it's conclusion Ichigo had a few tears leaking out of his eyes and only kept the true floodgates from opening through willpower and tightly clenched fists.

"If you don't mind Ichigo...I would like to ask some questions now." Urahara said as he passed a box of tissues across the table.

"What do you want to know?" The young man replied as he wiped his face.

"I saw you kill Grand Fisher with a cero."

"That isn't a question."

"Isn't it?" Urahara said with a head tilt.

Ichigo let loose a single sobby chuckle as he tossed the tissue away and recomposed himself. "I guess it is. I let Aizen use the Hōgyoku on me and I ended up...what's the best word here? Assimilating?...my inner hollow. On top of a host of new abilities I can cycle between the two aesthetics whenever I want now. It doesn't actually affect anything besides my appearance."

Urahara rubbed his forefinger and thumb on his chin as he processed the new info. "Well that's...different. Shinji and the others can't do anything like that. Then again your hollow had wildly different origins than theirs and you dealt with it using a rather atypical method. Is this also how you had your zanpakutō disappear after killing Grand Fisher?" Urahara asked with curiosity.

"You mean this?" Ichigo asked as he held his hand up high and his shikai blade was crafted out of blue spirit particles. "I think this is because I gave my quincy spirit the spot as the voice of my shinigami powers."

"Your...quincy spirit?" Urahara asked astonished. "Are you saying the quincy have an inner spirit in the same way shinigami do?"

"Apparently. Did you not know that?" Ichigo asked with surprise.

"I don't think anyone knew that." Urahara mumbled. "The quincy never interacted with their inner world. All their power was drawn from the outside. If any of them ever made the discovery of an inner spirit then that information died alongside most of their race long ago. Hmm...I guess it doesn't matter much anymore. So if this quincy spirit is in charge now then what is the name of your blade?"

Ichigo opened his mouth to speak and then shut it looking a bit embarrassed. "I uh...didn't ask. This only happened a little while ago." Ichigo held his blade in front of him and spoke to it. "Hey! quincy guy! You got a name you want or can I still call the sword Zangetsu?"

Ichigo's mind was filled with an impression of his spirit shrugging in indifference.

"Looks like he doesn't care. Guess that means I'm still calling it Zangetsu." Ichigo said as he let his sword dissolve away again. It was so convenient not to have to carry it around anymore.

"How are you managing to do that though Ichigo? Quincy children have to train for months before they can gather the ambient spirit particles in the air."

"Don't know." Ichigo shrugged. "I probably couldn't make a bow if my life depended on it, but where Zangetsu is concerned it's just instinctual."

Silence again overtook the room as the conversation reached its ending point. A slight shift in Urahara's sitting position changed the mood back to a serious one. "I think it's time we address the largest issue in the room."

Ichigo's posture straightened and he gestured for the man to proceed.

"What has Aizen told you his plan is and what have you been doing in Hueco Mundo?" Urahara asked deadly serious.

"On the day he sprung Chad and I from our cells he mentioned that he sought a complete overhaul of the current system. He wants to tear down the corruption and arrogance of Soul Society or rather the Gotei 13 more specifically. I may not trust Aizen -especially after everything that has happened today- but I'm not against that goal. Chad and I have spent the days training with others in his army."

"So it's as I feared..." Urahara whispered beneath his breath. "Ichigo. I don't know what you think Aizen means when he says 'complete overhaul' but I assure you what he has planned is insane. He can't be allowed to succeed no matter what. He wants to assassinate the Soul King."

"Who?" Ichigo asked suddenly confused.

"The Soul King. He exists on a higher plane than Soul Society does. An ageless being who guides all souls through the cycle of death and rebirth. He is the lynchpin on reality itself. No one knows what happens if the Soul King is killed or removed. Maybe he will simply revive himself as he is the closest thing to a 'god' that there is. Maybe someone else will be forced to take his place and keep the whole thing going or maybe it will cause the agonizing death of every soul in existence. The point is that I don't know. Yamamoto doesn't know. Aizen doesn't know. Do you understand that Ichigo? He doesn't know and he wants to pull the trigger anyway."

Ichigo had gone pale and his eyes flickered back and forth in inner conflict. "That's...that's quite the claim Urahara. The other stuff I could believe...I do believe...but this...that sounds crazy."

Urahara pressed further. "There is only one way to get access to the Soul King's realm. Through a special key known as the Ōken. There is only one in existence and it's location is known only by Yamamoto himself. If Aizen can't get that one then I believe he will try and create his own."

"How?" Ichigo breathed out.

"By sacrificing all of Karakura town." Urahara said ominously. "Crafting a new Ōken takes 100,000 souls and a large plot of spiritually enriched land known as the Jūreichi. This town was built on that land and that's why it is such a focal point in the stories you've heard. It's why the last of the quincy lived here. It's why Aizen ran experiments here. It's why out of all the places in the world I could have gone after leaving Soul Society I decided to set up shop here."

Ichigo stood up abruptly. "This is ridiculous...I have to check...I can't just believe things like that at face value anymore..." he muttered quietly as though trying to convince himself.

"Ichigo! Where are you going?" Urahara asked as the young man exited the room and started heading to the front door.

"I have to think...and I still have things to check on…I gotta go." Ichigo replied as he swung the door open.

"Wait Ichigo! Before you go just tell me. If you do believe me will you rejoin us against Aizen?"

Ichigo stopped with one foot already out the door and turned back around. "Who's us? You and Soul Society?"

Urahara cringed a little. "I know you hate them Ichigo. You have rights to. But can't that wait until reality itself isn't at stake?"

Ichigo changed the subject. "What will happen to the Arrancar if Aizen loses?"

"Ichigo…look...I know that the Arrancar could coexist in peace with us...but Yamamoto would never allow it. He will never stop seeing them as a threat."

The young man looked contemplative for a moment before speaking. "If...and that's a big if...what you said is true then I'll help stop Aizen. But I won't be on your side."

"Then who's?"

"I'll be on theirs."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

 **Karakura Town**

Ichigo sat on a bench outside of the apartment building not sure how to proceed. This was the last thing he told himself he needed to do before he could leave Karakura town for the day. After collecting some things for Chad from his friends apartment Ichigo spent hours just waiting for the morning sun to come up while he thought on everything Urahara had told him.

Movement from the second floor caught his eye as his target opened the door and stepped outside in exercise clothes for a morning jog.

He didn't know how he was supposed to tell Tatsuki everything she needed to know. There was just so much. He was perpetually stuck in soul form and unable to speak with normal humans. A letter could work but it just seemed so cold. Especially when delivering news of tragedy. Watching her descend the stairs he was just about to swallow his pride and go awkwardly ask Urahara for a gigai despite how they had parted ways a few hours ago.

"Ichigo?"

The young man broke out of his thoughts and was startled to see her staring right at him clear as day.

He almost wished she couldn't...

It was half an hour later that Ichigo pulled a distraught Tatsuki closer to him as she wailed into his shoulder. Her tears of anguish staining the young mans clothes. Ichigo tried to explain it slowly. Piece by piece and event by event so that she could understand it all. Unfortunately it had the unintended side effect of making her guess why he was here.

Ichigo was here to explain why Orihime had been missing the past couple of weeks.

Her best friend was dead.

"D-did...did she suffer?" Tatsuki asked between sobs in Ichigo's shoulder.

"No. It was quicker than falling asleep." Ichigo lied. The truth being he didn't actually know any of the details on how she died. Only that she did.

"His name. I want his name! I want the name of the bastard who killed her!" Tatsuki screamed through the tears.

"Mayuri Kurotsuchi."

Tatsuki raised her head and looked at Ichigo with a face covered in angry tears. "Are you going to kill him?"

"Even If I have to use my bare hands." he promised darkly.

"Good." she replied with a sadistic look on her face that seemed out of character for her. "...she loved you you know." she added in a whisper as her face turned softer for a moment before devolving into a crying mess again.

Ichigo said nothing as he held her through it all.

* * *

 **Hueco Mundo, Las Noches**

Dordoni barely raised his leg in time to block the punch and slid back a few feet from the impact.

' _He's gotten faster! Stronger too...no choice then._ ' Dordoni thought as he finally abandoned the idea that he could win without his release and drew his zanpakutō. " _ **Whirl, Giralda!**_ "

Chad paused his assault as his training partner entered his Resurrección to really get a look at his new shield-like arm. It certainly finished it's evolution at a much quicker rate than he was expecting. It was something about this place. In Hueco Mundo his power sang to him in a way that was unlike how it did in the human world or Soul Society. A thought had crossed his mind that perhaps his power was somehow hollow in origin but he dismissed it as crazy. Now looking at the new teeth design emblazoned on his shield though he was beginning to rethink that position.

The smoke cleared to reveal his opponent. Among other small changes Dordoni's headplate had expanded into a helm and two spires were now sticking out of his shoulders. The big difference though now was the two blue cyclones of wind erupting from vents on his legs.

"Didn't you say something about me needing years before I was ready for your Resurreción?" Chad asked with a confident smirk.

"Don't get cocky on me now niño. I was one of the Espada once you know." Dordoni retorted as the two living whirlwinds came alive and developed bird-like hollow masks on their ends. Dordoni kicked his leg out and a masked column of wind shot forward as if to impale Chad on its beak.

" _ **El Directo.**_ " Chad intoned calmly as he slammed his reiatsu covered fist into the beak of the wind creature. The living wind was shredded as Chad's attack tore it apart one chunk at a time and honed in on Dordoni's main body.

"Oh? Not bad niño. But you won't beat me like that." Dordoni said smugly as he dodged the blast and then had two more wind creatures come alive from the vent on his leg like a hydra sprouting more heads.

Rather then verbally counter Chad took a defensive stance and gestured a 'bring it on' motion with his hand.

Dordoni frowned slightly and then performed a series of kicks into the open air. His elemental serpents mirrored his movements and rushed down to Chad in acceptance of the challenge. He dodged the first one and let its beak smash into the ground. Chad broke into a sprint towards Dordoni and slid under the second wind snake as it tried to intercept him. To clear the final obstacle he fired off an energy wave from his arm at the third one obliterating it's head in mid-air.

Chad leaped up to where Dordoni was hovering to smack him back down to earth but realized too late that the Arrancar was smiling. " _ **Ave Mellizos.**_ "

In an instant the amount of living extensions multiplied all the way to a full dozen and each of the nine new heads moved independently to either protect Dordoni's openings or attack the enemy.

Chad found that the opposite of his plan had happened when he was the one who was knocked from the air and crushed flat against the ground. Pushing the pain aside he gripped onto the mask portion of the head holding him down and threw the whole beast aside with his strength.

' _More. Just a little bit more._ ' he thought conspiratorially as he felt a tingling sensation in his left arm. A new power just itching to be freed and join its brother right arm.

Before the next move could be made a tear in space opened up in the air above where the two were fighting. Ichigo hopped out of the garganta with a pair of large bags swung over his shoulder. It didn't take long for him to realize that he was interrupting something if the new arm and Dordoni's Resurrección were anything to go by.

' _Maybe taking the portal straight to Chad's reiatsu wasn't the best idea._ '

Chad opened his mouth to speak but Ichigo beat him too it. "Hey Chad. Picked up some stuff for ya." he said while indicating one of the bags. "Don't mind me. I'll just drop it off at your room. We'll talk when your done yeah?"

Chad nodded in agreement.

"Alright see you in a few. Nice arm by the way." he then turned to his best friends training partner. "Are those wind powers Dordoni? Man that is so cool. I'm a bit jealous actually." he commented honestly. "Well I'll leave you two to it." he said before vanishing in something that wasn't quite shunpo or sonido.

* * *

 **Arrancar Creation Chamber**

Aizen's eyes flickered to the door briefly as he felt Ichigo's reiatsu reenter Las Noches. ' _Well...I'll deal with that in a moment._ ' he thought before returning his gaze to the being kneeling in front of him. A humanoid figure wrapped entirely in bandages and housed in a glass box.

"Watch closely my friends." Aizen spoke to those gathered in the room, his fellow ex-captains and a smattering of Arrancar. "This is the culmination of all my research. The birth of the first highly specialized Arrancar. Created to serve but a single purpose."

The Hōgyoku shone brilliantly as it activated and nearly blinded the onlookers as it's light extinguished every shadow in the room. Aizen didn't even wince in the face of the dazzling display.

The glass box shattered and the bandages disintegrated. A small shockwave kicked a little dust into the air and when the light of the Hōgyoku finally died away it revealed a petite blond man with purple eyes kneeling on the floor.

"What is your name young one?" Aizen asked with a smile.

The adolescent-like Arrancar looked up dumbly with a face suggesting he wasn't quite 'all there' mentally. "Wonderweiss...Wonderweiss Margela." he answered anyway.

Aizen nodded. "Kaname. Could you please escort our newest comrade down to Szayel's lab for me? Please tell him to run the usual tests for new additions to our forces."

"Of course Lord Aizen." Tōsen replied as he approached the boy. "Come child." he said with an outreached hand. Wonderweiss grabbed it the way a little boy would his parents.

Aizen waited until the two had left the chamber before turning to give his next order. "Stark. It appears our mutual friend has returned. Please escort him to the throne room for me. I will be waiting." he all but demanded as he headed to the door himself.

Stark scratched the back of his head in annoyance as his commander left. "Man...why do I have to do it? Ulquiorra why don't you go?"

"Those were not Lord Aizen's orders." The other Espada responded lifelessly.

"Yeah but you wouldn't mind doing it and I'd rather go back to laying down."

"Irrelevant. Orders must be followed."

Stark sighed. "Fine...I'll go do it...stupid emotionless pale faced..." he grumbled as he stalked off slowly.

* * *

 **Ichigo's Living Quarters**

Ichigo slid open the door to his room with the plan to quickly toss his bag on the bed and then go find Aizen for what was sure to be a…fun…talk. However he had to halt his arm mid swing when he saw Neliel waiting patiently for him.

Neliel stood up silently from where she was sitting and walked towards Ichigo briskly. The young man wasn't sure what exactly was about to happen. Was she going to slap him over the kiss? Poke him hard in the chest and demand to know where he'd been the past half-day?

What he wasn't expecting was for her to grab him by the collar and forcibly pull him down into a make out session.

Ichigo dropped his bag on the ground with a *thump* so he could free both his hands. One slid around her waist and the second intertwined itself in her hair. Her lips briefly opened and Ichigo made full use of the opportunity to snake his tongue into her mouth so the two could start dueling.

A small moan escaped Neliel's throat before she pulled back with a little tint coloring her cheeks.

"What was that for?" Ichigo asked with a broad smile.

"Just checking on something." she replied as she slipped out of his grip and sauntered back over to sit on the bed. "I'm rather new to this. I wanted to see if it felt as good the second time." she said with a smile on her face and laughter in her voice. "So...tell me where you've been." she then demanded in a much more serious tone.

Ichigo grinned at how she was able to switch from playful to serious in no time flat. "I could do that. But first you have to tell me what happened to me on the outside when the Hōgyoku was being used. I left before I got to hear the story."

"I could just force the information out of you." she threatened with a little gleam in her eye.

"I'd honestly like to see you try." Ichigo taunted good naturedly. "I'm not quite the pushover I used to be."

"Oh I don't know about that. Besides I can always try...other methods." She said as she pushed her chest out a little and ran her tongue over her bottom lip. "You're not the only one with instincts you know."

It took a great deal of effort for Ichigo to keep the straight look on his face and not reveal just how much he'd like for her to elaborate.

Neliel watched him carefully but eventually conceded to herself that this tactic had failed...for now. "Alright. I'll go first then. Initially the only thing that happened to you -after you stopped screaming that is- is that your body took on the form of an Adjuchas."

"Really?" Ichigo asked suddenly fascinated as he pulled out a chair from a nearby desk.

"Mmhmm. Your physique bulked out, you had claws, a tail, a few spikes here and there. It was definitely an Adjuchas. The most powerful I'd ever seen as well. Quite the achievement considering I was the one who held that honor before you came along."

"You were?"

"Yes. I am the 5th Espada Ichigo and I'm damn proud of that even if I was once higher. But the ones above me were all Vasto Lorde before they made the change. Those four are in a league all their own." Neliel then looked at Ichigo as if mentally considering something. "Well...maybe not anymore."

"What did I act like? The Adjuchas me."

"Berserk. Like a crazed animal lashing out at anything that got near it. You nearly killed Sado with a cero when he approached you."

Ichigo paled significantly. "...I did?" he asked with a shaking voice.

"Maybe he would have lived. Okay he probably would have lived. But it wouldn't have been pretty that's for sure. I pulled him out of the way regardless."

"Thank you Nel. I really owe you one for that. I didn't hurt anyone else did I?"

"Just one. The 7th Espada Zommari Leroux. He's still in the medical bay last I heard. In exchange for having the greatest sonido among us his regenerative abilities are rather sub-par. But I'm getting ahead of myself. You were already a Vasto Lorde by that point."

"...I think I better just listen to the rest of the story."

Ichigo sat patiently as Neliel took him through the rest of the tale, only interrupting her every now and again when he wanted to add context of what was happening in his inner world that coincided with events on the outside.

He grimaced when she hit the part where he just about cut Zommari in half across the chest and then nearly had a panic attack when he heard Aizen was testing the abilities of his berserk self with Kyōka Suigetsu.

' _Calm down Ichigo. It's okay. Calm down. You were in the inner world. You didn't see it. If anyone saw it then it was part of the hollow...the hollow I assimilated...would that count?...no…no it's fine. I'm still fine. Still safe.'_

"...higo...ar...ou...kay?"

"Huh? What?" He said snapping out of his daze.

"I asked if you were okay? You seemed out of it for a moment there." She said with concern.

"Yeah. Yeah I'm good." Ichigo said as he recomposed himself.

Neliel looked like she wanted to press further but eventually dismissed it. "Anyways. That's around the time when you regained control. You know the rest. Your turn now. What was so important that you had to leave and ignore Lord Aizen's questions?"

Ichigo opened his mouth to speak but was silenced by a loud knock on his door.

"Oy. Ichigo. Aizen wants to talk to you in the throne room. Lets go." the lazy and mildly annoyed voice of Stark came through.

Ichigo chuckled at Neliel's frustrated look at being interrupted just when it was her turn to get answers. He squatted down in front of her. "Answers later. I promise." he said before planting an affectionate peck on her forehead just below the edge of her mask.

As she watched him leave Neliel touched the spot where his lips just were in confusion. This was new. That little kiss didn't cause feelings of arousal or make her shiver slightly like the other two had. This one just put butterflies in her stomach and inadvertently forced a little smile on her face. She'll have to figure it out later.

* * *

 **With Stark and Ichigo**

"Any particular reason I need an escort? Seems like a duty below the great Primera Espada." Ichigo commented with humor. It was painfully obvious Stark would prefer to be elsewhere.

The man just shrugged his shoulders as he continued to walk with both hands in his pockets and slouching terribly. "I don't know. Not like I could do anything if you didn't want to come."

"You don't think so?"

"If your reiatsu output against Aizen was anything to go by I wouldn't have a chance of stopping you without my Resurrecciōn and the top four Espada are strictly forbidden from releasing their swords while within the walls of Las Noches. Even if I was allowed to I don't have Lilynette with me so I can't actually use it. Not to mention the fact that even if Lilynette was here it'd be too much effort to bother."

"Why can't you release without Lilynette? Your sword is right there." Ichigo asked while pointing to the yellow hilt and sheath attached to his waist.

"This thing? It's only half. I can't do it without both parts." Stark replied now with one hand resting on the hilt.

"What does that mean?" Ichigo asked confused.

Stark groaned under his breath. "Telling the whole story is too much trouble. Ask Lilynette to explain it to you. She understands it better anyway."

The two walked in near silence for the next few minutes. The only sound being Ichigo once asking why they weren't using Sonido and Stark replying with 'he didn't feel like it'.

Eventually Ichigo forced himself to break the quiet again. "Hey Stark. What do you think about Aizen's plans?"

"I don't care."

"Do you mean you don't care about the war with Soul Society or do you not care what he does afterwards?"

"I mean I don't care. Aizen saved me from decades of isolation. Everyone around would die because I had no control over my own power. Not even splitting myself into two people was enough to stop them from dying. I don't care that he showed me control for selfish reasons on his part. I don't care if he wants me to help fight a war for him. I will never be able to repay the debt I owe to him so whatever he is planning I don't care. I'm his man until his dying day."

Ichigo filed away the 'split in two' information for later and cautiously asked his next question. "Even if it was possible his plan might destroy the entire world?"

Stark looked back at Ichigo curiously and almost asked why he thought such a thing. Then again..."I don't care." Stark responded.

' _Well that was a bust. So much for possibly getting him on my side._ '

The two reached the entrance to the throne room and Stark opened one of the colossal double doors to usher Ichigo inside. Once the young man had entered Stark turned around to go take a nap in his room.

Ichigo walked with purpose to the center of the room as Aizen stared down at him from his stone chair up on high.

"Ichigo. I am overjoyed that you have elected to rejoin us here in Las Noches. I trust that you finished everything you needed doing?"

"It was...an eventful trip."

"Yes I imagine so. Confronting your mothers killer outside your own home nearly a decade after the deed. Quite the novel experience it must have been."

Ichigo wasn't surprised he had this information. ' _He claimed to have monitoring devices in Karakura that picked up my father being taken to Soul Society. It only makes sense he'd know about Grand Fisher. Which means he knows Urahara approached me...but not what we talked about. It's probably safe to assume the inside of Urahara's store is shielded.'_

"It was. Although I would like to know how he became an Arrancar."

"He wasn't a member of my organization I assure you." Aizen responded to the unasked question. "He removed his mask the old fashioned way with the assistance of a Número in my army. When that Número then offered to bring Grand Fisher here to await my return from Soul Society so he could complete the change from an imperfect Arrancar to a complete one Grand Fisher refused."

"Would you have let him join?"

"No. I'm no saint but employing a killer who almost exclusively targeted young woman is just distasteful." Aizen said not sure if it was a lie. It would honestly depend on his mood on that day if such a thing had come to pass.

"I spoke to Urahara." Ichigo admitted, shifting the gears of the conversation.

' _Oh? Are we abandoning the game of cordiality so soon?_ ' "I am aware. Would you care to share what you discussed?"

"He made quite some hefty claims about you."

"Did he now? Such as?"

"That you're planning to craft an Ōken by sacrificing all of Karakura town so you can assassinate The Soul King." Ichigo accused figuring he should just go straight to the heart of the matter.

Aizen raised an eyebrow. "I see. That is indeed quite the claim. Do you believe him?"

"I...I'm not sure. You are both so much better at lying and manipulating then I could ever be. I can't keep track of what's true, whats half-true, and what's a straight up falsehood anymore. Still, I wanted to hear what you had to say though. I can't decide anything until I hear both halves of the story."

Aizen drummed his right-hand fingers on his chair as he composed his response. "Very well Ichigo. The truth. I do plan on obtaining the Ōken by any means necessary. I would very much rather obtain the one Yamamoto has hidden away than craft my own. I will only do so if Yamamoto destroys his before I can find it. If I am forced to use Karakura town to create the Ōken I am perfectly willing to allow you to evacuate whoever you wish. Your friends, your neighbors, even the entire town. I'll simply replace the necessary souls with rapists, murderers, and other types of scum from the rest of the country. It's the land itself that is non-negotiable. Once I have access to the Kings Realm I will seek out The Soul King."

"So you admit-"

Aizen ignored the interruption. "However, it is not to kill him but rather have an audience with him. To force him to see truths that his guards will not tell him. I'm not stupid Ichigo. Assassinating him could destroy life as we know it. I will show him the flaws in the system that he's created and demand he correct them. Over two-thirds of Soul Society forced to live in the squalor of Rukongai. The four noble houses running roughshod over the lower classes without relent preventing people like Kaname from getting justice for his fallen friend. The plight of the Adjuchas I've already told you about. Only the Soul King can overhaul the system and change these things. Any evils I commit along the way are justified if I can right the great wrongs of the world. I'll even duel you honorably in combat for what I did to Rukia once it's all over."

Ichigo clenched one fist as he carefully reviewed everything he was hearing. It sounded good. It sounded _real_ good. It was a plan he could agree with. But…after everything he had heard from Urahara he just couldn't trust it. He wanted to trust it. He understood that you couldn't change the world without getting your hands dirty. But he just couldn't trust it!

"Does that satisfy you Ichigo?" Aizen questioned.

"Yeah...I believe you." Ichigo said as convincingly as he could.

Aizen looked at him with a critical eye as he saw through the lie."You've been awake for an awfully long time Ichigo. Why don't you go get some rest? You can tell me the details of what happened to you with the Hōgyoku later. I've pieced most of it together myself anyway."

Ichigo nodded politely before spinning on his heel and walking back towards the door. As he approached the exit Ichimaru entered through it and walked past him.

"Well well well if it isn't my favorite little Ryoka boy. Not quite a Ryoka anymore though are ya? How are you feeling after your big day?" he asked with a big smile.

"I'm fine." Ichigo responded without stopping and reopened the door for himself.

Aizen and Ichimaru watched as the massive door closed with a loud *thunk* and then the illusionary Ichimaru vanished into nothingness.

' _So. Kyōka Suigetsu still affects him. Good. Then there's really nothing to worry about is there?_ '

* * *

 **A/N: Do you think Aizen is lying or telling the truth? As always reviews are welcome.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

 **Hueco Mundo, Szayel's Control Room**

"With these new numbers it makes 68% of all monitoring devices having been found and disabled within the walls of Seireitei and 31% in the surrounding districts of Rukongai. It seems that the 12th division has finally found a way to sweep for them effectively. I estimate that within nine days time we will be completely blinded as to what's happening there." The 8th Espada reported as he read off a computer readout.

"And what of those I placed in Karakura town?" Aizen asked not terribly surprised. He knew his information network would be coming down soon anyway.

"Only 23% have been removed so far and all within the past 48 hours. We did pick up on a messenger from the 12th division appearing in Karakura. It is likely that they shared the technique to detect the devices with Kisuke Urahara and Tessai Tsukabishi."

"A fair assumption." Aizen commented offhandedly.

"I agree. Now to the final order of business." Szayel said as he moved to the next paper in his hand. "The test results of the first highly modified Arrancar. Wonderweiss Margela. He placed very highly in all the tested categories. Reiatsu, sonido, hierro, cero, reflexes, and physical strength. The only thing he's lacking is his mental faculties, but of course that was by your design. The only problem is I'm not sure where to rank him. The data says to place him in the middle of the Espada but considering-"

"Wonderweiss will not require an official ranking." Aizen cut him off. "He is a special project after all. Anything else?"

Szayel flickered though the papers he was holding to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. "Just one. A side note really. I believe that I could -with a little bit of minor surgery- be able to restore at least some of the boy's mental abilities without impacting the effectiveness of his Resurrección."

"How sure are you in this believe?" Aizen inquired.

"I'd put the chances of it damaging his powers around 1.3 maybe 1.4 percent."

"Denied. Even if it were only .01 percent then I would consider it a risk too great. Wonderweiss has only one purpose in this life. To fulfill that mission he does not need knowledge, memory, or even reason. We are too close to the finale to be unnecessarily tinkering with our trump card."

"Of course Lord Aizen." Szayel said with a half bow and one arm over his chest.

* * *

 **Soul Society, 9** **th** **Division Captains Barracks**

"What are you some kind of pervert?" Karin Kurosaki asked the man that was supposedly her fathers new top underling.

Lieutenant Hisagi's eyebrow twitched in annoyance at the accusation. When his new captain told him to watch over his daughters while he attended meetings he wasn't expecting...this.

"K-K-Karin you can't just say that to someone!" Yuzu stammered a bit scandalized.

"Huh? It isn't my fault that he's the one with that number tattooed on his face Yuzu." The black haired girl objected.

"The number?" she questioned as she looked at the '69' on the mans cheek. "How does that make him a pervert?"

Karin sighed and placed her hands on her sisters shoulders. "Never change Yuzu. Stay innocent as long as you can."

"I...am...not...a...pervert." Hisagi said as he ground his teeth together and kept mentally reminding himself he is not allowed to hit his captains children.

The girls didn't seem to hear him.

"Eh? But Karin if you know then I want to know too! We're twins! We should know the same things!" Yuzu protested.

Karin seemed to wrestle with the decision but then leaned in and whispered something in her sisters ear.

Yuzu's entire face went beat red and she averted her eyes so she could no longer see the lieutenant. "...pervert." she mumbled under her breath.

"I AM NOT A...ugh you know what? I don't care anymore! Just take these." Hisagi said as he tossed a pair of sheathed katana's at the girls feet. "They're asauchi's. Your father says to keep them with you at all times. I'll be in the next room if you need anything."

The lieutenant then spun on his heel, slid open the door and then slammed it shut behind him.

Karin smirked at how easy it was to get the man riled up. "Alright. Got rid of the babysitter. Now...what are these for?" Karin asked as she picked up one of the swords.

Yuzu sighed. "Karin weren't you paying attention when dad explained zanpakutō's the other day?"

"Yes! Maybe...sort of...a little...I got bored okay?" Karin said as though it wasn't her fault. "Goat face just kept going on and on and I was still pissed that we were here in the first place. Ignoring him seemed like the only way to get back at him."

"Around when did you stop listening?" Yuzu asked with a little exasperation.

"Um...somewhere around four skills or something?" Karin said sheepishly.

"Okay. Pay attention this time. All shinigami of the Gotei 13 have four basic methods of combat. They are Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō. Through these..."

Karin smiled as her sister seemed to enter lecture mode and reiterated in verbatim everything their father had told them.

At least some things never changed.

* * *

 **Hueco Mundo, Ichigo's Living Quarters**

"Look all I'm saying is you shouldn't dismiss the possibility outright." Ichigo said to his best friend as he lay on his bed and passed a small ball of blue spirit energy between his left and right hand. ' _Good Ichigo. You're doing well. Now try and make the orb a little larger. Slowly increase it until it's about the size of your head._ ' his Quincy spirit spoke within his mind.

"I don't even know her Ichigo." Chad countered from his spot on the floor with his left arm raised high. He mentally grunted and tried to summon the new power. A cocoon of white started to come forth and stretched over his arm but at around the halfway point it collapsed on itself and crumbled away into nothing. Chad sighed in frustration as the transformation failed for the 8th time.

"So get to know her then. I saw that look she gave you in the weekly meeting yesterday." Ichigo replied nonchalantly as he drew more energy from the surroundings and funneled it into the spirit orb. ' _Careful Ichigo...careful...slowly...good. In time this will grow to be second nature for you._ ' the Quincy said in his head.

"Easy for you to say. Neliel doesn't have three other women around her at all times. One of which could probably kill me with her eyes closed and one arm behind her back." Chad complained as he gathered energy in his left arm for attempt number nine.

"You're just jealous." Ichigo teased. "Besides, Nel says that Harribel's bark is worse than her bite. Or rather that her cold unfeeling stare into your soul is worse than her bite. Point being that if you're just upfront with her about your interest in Mila Rose then you'll be fine." ' _You're getting a little flux on the lower right side. Concentrate Ichigo...better...better...excellent. Now try and morph the energy into a cylinder approximately half your height. From there we'll work on bending it into a bow._ '

"I'm not even sure I am interested. She's the one who's after me." Chad bit back in irritation after his arm failed to transform again.

"You are interested. Hence the reason we're having this conversation. Can't really blame you considering the way she dresses either." Ichigo took his eyes off his own project to look at his friend. A scowl marring his face as he stared intently at his left hand. "Hey Chad. Just a thought here. Do you remember what you said to me about how you originally activated your powers? Back in Karakura town before...well before everything really."

Chad switched his gaze from his left arm to his right. "...I needed them to protect those kids. I needed power or else all of us would have died that day. I needed the power...and then I had it."

"Right. It was a power to protect. A defensive power. Hell your arm even looks like a big shield now. I was just wondering if maybe you need the opposite mindset for your other arm."

"What do you mean?" Chad asked confused.

"Well if one arm is defensive it would make sense for the other to be offensive right? Not a power to protect yourself or others but a power to defeat your enemies. A power to kill Kurotsuchi. Have you tried summoning it with that in mind?"

Chad looked thoughtfully at his left arm again as he considered the idea. Just then a light knock on the door sounded.

"Excuse me. Mr. Ichigo Kurosaki. May I speak with you." an unfamiliar voice called out.

Ichigo let the spirit energy he was holding dissipate and hopped off the bed as he mentally promised 'Old Man Zangetsu' that he'd continue working on it later. Ichigo opened his door and was met with the sight of an Arrancar he hadn't met before. He had a slim build, long blonde hair and a mask that covered far more of his face than was typical.

"May I help you?"

"Mr. Ichigo Kurosaki. My name is Arrancar No.21 Findorr Calias. I am a Fracción serving under the exalted Barragan Luisenbarn." The Arrancar said with a bow. "My King has expressed an interest in meeting with you."

"And what? You're here to extend an invitation?"

"Exacta!" Findorr exclaimed as he struck a pose. "I am here to inquire on his behalf if you are open to such a meeting and when you can come. Today would be preferable."

Ichigo glanced behind him at his best friend as if asking the question 'Do you mind if I take off?'

Chad gave him a look saying he didn't mind.

"Okay Findorr." Ichigo said as he turned back around. "How about right now?"

* * *

 **Barragan's Private Chambers**

The door opened up to a dimly lit room with a group of six Arrancar chatting about something fervently. When Ichigo and Findorr stepped inside all conversation ceased abruptly as the six occupants looked at Ichigo.

The only one sitting, whom Ichigo recognized as the 2nd Espada gestured to a chair opposite his own for Ichigo to sit down in. For something that appeared to be made entirely out of bone it was oddly comfortable.

"Introduce yourselves." Barragan ordered and the other five Arrancar's stances went a little more rigid.

"Arrancar No.30 Charlotte Chuhlhourne." A large effeminate man said as he leered at Ichigo in a lascivious way that made him a tad uncomfortable.

"Arrancar No. 28 Nirgge Parduoc." The heavyset one with a sour face grumbled. His eyes were almost entirely hidden by his mask and Ichigo couldn't get a good read on him.

"Arrancar No. 26 Abirama Redder!" The next one nearly shouted. This one wearing sleeves but no shirt. Likely to show off all the red tribal tattoos on his torso. His enthusiasm reminded Ichigo a bit of Ikkaku.

"Arrancar No.16 Ggio Vega." Spoke the shortest one. Ichigo recognized him and the tall one next to him from the day he assimilated his inner hollow. He looked like a typical pretty boy but there was something about him that screamed 'danger'.

"Arrancar No. 15 Choe Neng Poww." The last said. He was a ridiculously tall Arrancar who must have been at least 12 feet high. Maybe 13. Despite his imposing stature though Ichigo got the sense he was a very calm and collected individual.

"And I am Espada No. 2 Barragan Luisenbarn. The previous King of Hueco Mundo."

Ichigo thought it rude not to return the gesture. "I'm Ichigo Kurosaki. I'm..." ' _What exactly do I say here? I'm a human? A hybrid? Just a guy looking for revenge?_ ' "...well I'm just me I guess."

Barragan subtly nodded his head as though it were as good an answer as any. "Before we begin there are two things I'd like you to confirm for me. A simple yes or no will suffice. Ggio and Choe reported to me that you showed an ability to hide the fact that you're now a hollow. Are you a Vasto Lorde?"

"In the same sense that you are I guess. So yes." Ichigo replied as he briefly brought out a portion of his horned mask.

"Ggio and Choe also reported to me that your friend Sado was not under the spell of Aizen's zanpakutō. Are you?"

"No."

"Good. Those are both the answers I was hoping for. I will cut straight to the heart of the matter. I asked you here today so I could hear your intentions regarding Aizen. I've heard a rumor that you plan to take vengeance on him someday. To kill him for what he did to some past friend of yours."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he cast glances around the room. As if suddenly aware that he may need to fight his way out of here. 7 on 1 wasn't exactly ideal. Especially when he didn't know any of their powers.

Barragan grinned a little at the reaction. "No need for any of that. At the moment we aren't doing anything but talking."

"What does it matter to you what my intentions are?"

"Because _I'm_ the one who's going to kill him." Barragan replied calmly.

Ichigo's thoughts ground to a halt as he heard the words. "Why?" he couldn't help but ask.

"Hueco Mundo is mine." He stated adamantly and with a hint of anger. "I am its rightful King. For close to a millennium I ruled here unquestioned and one day that shinigami upstart showed up and stole it from me! He built this palace atop my old throne and every day I inhabit it I can feel it mocking me. I have waited patiently for the chance to reclaim what is mine and I believe that chance is fast approaching."

"What does this have to do with me?" Ichigo asked curiously.

"We share a common goal. Or are you suggesting that the rumor I've heard is false?'

"I didn't say that. I'm just wondering why you approached me specifically."

Barragan almost laughed. "Don't flatter yourself. You are not the first I have spoken to about my intentions."

"So you have other allies besides those in this room?"

The Espada scowled. "No. The most I have received is promises of neutrality and non-interference from the 3rd, 4th, and 6th Espada. The 1st, 7th, and 8th are too loyal to Aizen for me to approach them. The 9th and 10th are too weak to matter and Yammy is more trouble than he's worth as is."

"What about the 5th?" Ichigo asked thinking of Neliel.

"I am optimistic that I can get her through you."

Ichigo held back his response to that and focused on asking something constructive. "When are you planning on acting?"

"That is yet to be determined. Likely sometime after this upcoming conflict with the shinigami. Possibly during."

Ichigo leaned back in his chair and thought about what he knew of Aizen's plan. Or rather not what he 'knew' but what he had chosen to believe. "That...might be too late." he eventually said.

Barragan's brow furrowed. "Explain."

Ichigo hesitated. He'd been keeping this information close to the chest. He hadn't even told Chad in fear that the walls might have ears.

Barragan seemed to pick up on what he was worried about. "There are a great number of areas in Las Noches that Aizen has under surveillance. I have taken great strides to ensure that this room is not one of them. You may speak freely."

"You're positive this room is not under surveillance?"

The 2nd Espada nodded seriously as he leaned forward and steepled his fingers together. Focusing on the conversation with great intensity.

Barragan listened silently as Ichigo told him of his conversations with both Aizen and Urahara over what Aizen's true goals may be. He didn't go into all the details but made sure to hit all the pertinent information.

The grizzled old Arrancar leaned back in his chair when the story ended and 'hmmed' to himself with eyes closed. "The Soul King...now there's a name I haven't heard in 700...no...800 years."

"So you know of him?" Ichigo asked a little surprised.

Barragan cracked an eye open. "I was King of Hueco Mundo boy. There are a great many things I know that others do not." He then shifted his gaze down and spoke more to himself than the rooms occupants. "If Aizen is after the head of the King of Souls then waiting to confront him until after his war with the shinigami has ended is far too risky. I can't rule Hueco Mundo if it no longer exists."

Ichigo sat patiently as Barragan continued to sort through his thoughts out loud. "...but doing it during the war itself has too many variables. I can't even guarantee I'll be near Aizen once the fighting starts...I'll have to do it before." He eventually settled on.

"You want to kill him before the war starts?" Ichigo asked just to be clear.

"Is that a problem? I may despise Shinigami but I have no interest in open warfare against them. My concern is Hueco Mundo. Nothing else."

"What if I still want to fight against Soul Society?"

"So you can kill this Mayuri Kurotsuchi correct?"

"How did you know about that?" Ichigo demanded a little angrily.

Barragan scoffed as if a little insulted. "Do not underestimate me child. I am 1093 years old. I know how to gather basic intelligence." Barragan stood from his skeletal chair and walked to the side of the room. He opened some blinds that were blocking a window and gazed across the desert landscape. He stared at the unending sands with his arms crossed behind his back for a solid minute before speaking again. "Alright Kurosaki. Here is the deal I offer you. Help me reclaim my throne and I will help you kill this Captain Kurotsuchi. You and your friend Sado will always have a place in my Hueco Mundo. Sanctuary will be provided here for yourself and any that you ask for. As a Vasto Lorde you will have great standing among the hollows under my command and I will even have them follow your orders unless they contradict my own."

Barragan turned away from the window and looked at his six fracción. "Is that understood?"

"Yes My King." They chanted in unison.

The old monarch walked back towards Ichigo and extended his hand. "Do we have an accord?"

Ichigo didn't respond right away. It wasn't a small decision. But eventually his hand did rise up and grasp the old mans. "We do."

* * *

 **Time Until Aizen Moves Against Soul Society: Nine Weeks**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

 **Hueco Mundo, Las Noches, Zommari's Meditation Room**

The 7th Espada was spending his day in the same manner that he had spent most since moving into Las Noches. Meditating in his private room as he thought over the natural order of reality and the conundrums that plagued his mind.

' _The shinigami hunt hollows because they believe we are evil. They are arrogant. Self-righteous. But they act so because most hollows feast on human souls to survive. Unfair. One-sided. The humans cannot defend themselves so shinigami must do it for them. Balance. Order. Humans beget shinigami. Humans beget hollows. A terrible system. An evolution where progenitor spawns both protector and predator. Who is in the right? None of them. All of them. The humans live without knowledge of-_

Zommari opened his eyes as a soft knock came from the door.

"Enter." Zommari called out.

The door slid open to reveal Ichigo standing there with a shopping bag looking a bit sheepish.

"Hello Ichigo Kurosaki. How may I assist you?" Zommari asked without breaking his meditative pose.

Ichigo glanced around the room nervously as he tried to avoid looking the Espada in the face. "Well...I um...I've been thinking...and I just thought I'd drop by and...uh...apologize for what happened back when...you know?" ' _Oh crap. This is so much more awkward than I had hoped. How exactly are you supposed to apologize to someone for nearly cutting them_ _in half?_ ' Ichigo thought with worry.

Zommari however didn't seem bothered by the incident in the least."It is alright Ichigo Kurosaki. My wounds have healed and I bear no ill will towards you. Your mind was not your own when you attacked me."

"Regardless I uh...talked to Neliel and heard you like to meditate...like really like it…so I took a quick trip to the human world and picked you up some stuff. You know...as a proper apology." He said as he shook the shopping bag a little to draw attention to it.

"Stuff?" Zommari questioned.

"Yeah." Ichigo confirmed as he opened the bag and started unloading supplies. "A pillow to sit on, an incense burner, a half dozen types of incense to try with it, a CD player with some relaxing music, the works."

Zommari very subtly twisted his head as he pondered how to respond. Other than Aizen changing him with the Hōgyoku he had never received a gift before. "I thank you Ichigo Kurosaki. This is very thoughtful." he responded as he finally uncrossed his legs and strolled over to examine the supplies himself. He sniffed a packet of incense and his eyebrows rose slightly in approval.

"Don't mention it. I'm just glad there's no bad blood between us. So...friends?" Ichigo asked with an extended hand.

Zommari grasped it. "Friends."

* * *

 **Karakura Town, Local Park**

Kisuke Urahara massaged the back of his neck with one hand and suppressed the urge to complain about the unusually hot day. He should have brought his fan with him.

"The kidō is down now Kisuke." Tessai reported as he rose up from where he was kneeling on the ground.

The strange device shimmered into view as its cloaking failed. It was a small blue box around half the size of a loaf of bread. It had a small antennae sticking out it's top, a gauge for detecting and analyzing nearby reiatsu levels that was currently going crazy and a little flashing light signified that it was transmitting their idle conversation. Urahara drew his trusted Benihime and bisected the machine with one perfect swing. The device sputtered and sparked for a second as it shut down and then Urahara picked up the two piece and tossed them in a bag.

"How many is that now?" he wondered aloud as he wiped the sweat off his brow from the unrelenting sun.

"Eighteen today. Going by the pattern of their placement then this should be the last of them in the northwestern section of Karakura." Tessai answered.

Yoruichi stretched in her cat form and yawned from a nearby ledge. She hadn't done anything but watch her two boys go from place to place and work all day. "Why would Aizen even bother scattering these throughout the whole city? No one he'd be interested in lives anywhere near this part of town." she asked in a bored tone.

"It's just good policy Yoruichi. Aizen isn't one to do things by halves. I'm more concerned that he was able to install these boxes without me noticing in the first place." Urahara replied.

Yoruichi mentally conceded that he was right and changed the subject. "So are we done for the day then?" she asked as she scratched behind her ear with a paw.

Urahara grumbled something under his breath like 'I wish' before answering properly."Tessai and I are going to go south and start sweeping that quadrant, it's best to be rid of these as soon as possible. If you're bored then you can always go back to the shop."

Yoruichi considered it. "I guess...not like I'm really contributing as is." The black cat leapt from the wall she was sitting on to the closest rooftop and began dashing her way back to the eastern part of the city where they all lived.

An hour later she found herself napping on a large fluffy pillow waiting for her best friends to return when her sensitive ears picked up an iconic and rather worrisome sound.

One of a garganta opening nearby.

She rushed back outside and stared up at the rip in space hovering over the shop. She bristled and was ready to transform at a moments notice to go on the offensive if an enemy appeared.

However instead of an Arrancar or even a normal hollow emerging from the spatial tunnel all that came out was a simple piece of paper folded up like a plane. Casually tossed out of the tear in space from whoever was on the inside.

As soon as the paper plane was clear the garganta snapped shut without ever revealing who the one who had opened it was. Yoruichi watched with both caution and confusion as the paper slowly drifted down to earth and landed directly in front of Urahara's store.

Yoruichi approached the plane and saw that there was writing on one of the wings. ' _To Urahara, Tessai, or Yoruichi_ '.

The black cat unfolded the plane and smoothed it out with her paws to read the note hidden inside.

 _Can't talk_ _in person again without Aizen asking questions. Has monitoring equipment hidden somewhere in Karakura. Find it._ The note started.

"That's already being handled. Not that you'd know that I guess." Yoruichi mumbled to herself as she realized the note was from Ichigo.

 _When you're sure it's safe to talk tie a green cloth on the lamp post outside the store. I'll check back in a few days._

"Simple enough." she muttered.

 _I've made my choice. I choose to believe Urahara's story. Will fight against Aizen. Have help here. Someone I trust. If I don't contact again know that_ _Aizen is going to-_

Yoruichi's eyes widened and her breath hitched as she read the last part of the note. Here it was. The exact date for when Aizen was planning on moving against Soul Society. No word on if he was going to invade Seireitei itself or attack Karakura to make the Ōken but this was more than a good start. A voice in the back of her mind was worried about Ichigo acting on his own but she knew there was really nothing she could do about it. She grabbed the note and took off running at full speed.

She had to find Kisuke.

* * *

 **Hueco Mundo, The Desert Just Outside Las Noches**

Ichigo watched with rapt attention as his girl...woman...partner...whatever she was went on excitedly about teaching Ichigo how to fully utilize his new range of hollow abilities. The basic cero was instinctual, so he had no problem with that. They'd already covered Bala earlier and had just finished up a lesson on sending energy directly to open wounds to jump start high-speed regeneration.

Now it was time to 'learn something fun' as she had put it.

"...then you just mix in bit of your own blood with the energy..." Neliel lectured as a new type of attack formed over her palm. This cero was not the typical color for her. Taking on the hue of her hair instead of the usual light purple. The sides of the energy weren't smooth and clean but rather jagged and razor-like. If Ichigo could get over how cool it looked he'd realize the whole thing appeared rather unstable.

"...and voila! _**Gran Rey Cero!**_ " Neliel unleashed the torrent of energy towards a sand dune in the distance. The fabric of space itself almost seemed disturbed along the path that the blast traveled and the cero seemed to barely able to hold its shape as it approached its target. The amount of raw power put in it too great for its container.

When the explosion cleared the sand dune wasn't damaged or looked like it had its contents blown elsewhere. It was simply...gone. Just a hole in the landscape. No evidence that anything had ever been there at all.

Ichigo's jaw was practically on the floor. "And any of the Arrancar can do this?" he questioned in amazement.

"Yes and no. All should be able to in theory but it takes a lot of mental discipline and inherent reiatsu to actually pull it off. After two Números and a Privaron Espada lost their lives failing to control it after the technique was discovered Aizen decreed that any Arrancar who aren't active members of the Espada are forbidden to use it." Neliel then leaned in to whisper even though no one else was around. "But between you and me though I've heard that Yammy can't actually do it. Every time he tries it just blows up in his face."

Ichigo took a moment to chuckle at the gossip before speaking. "So why show it to me if I'm not allowed to use it? I'm not among the Espada."

"Ah but that's not what I said is it? I said 'any Arrancar who aren't Espada are forbidden'. You don't qualify." She said with a conspiratorial smile.

"Ooo a loophole." Ichigo said amused but then shifted to a little worry. "You don't think Aizen will be upset that you showed me this?"

"Why would he be? I'm only following his decree to the letter after all." she said with faux innocence.

Can't argue with that logic. "Well let's get started then." Ichigo said excitedly as sliced open his palm.

* * *

 **Soul Society, Captains Meeting**

The oldest shinigami to ever live tapped his cane twice on the floor and all the muttering and small conversations between the assembled leaders of the Gotei 13 ended.

"I now call the 6,807th captains meeting of the Gotei 13 to order." Yamamoto bellowed. "As always let us start with squad positions. Do any squad captains have any major position changes to report?"

Only one stepped forward. However that was still one more than was typical.

"Captain Amagai. I trust you are settling into your position as leader of the 3rd division well? What major change have you for us?"

"Commander. On inspection of my squad officers I found issue with my 3rd seat. While his combat ability is more than sufficient he is a drunken lecher and a detrimental role model to the other members of my squad. I have placed him on temporary leave of absence and with captain Suì-Fēng's permission I would like to bring in someone I worked closely with when I was still in the patrol corps to replace him. One Makoto Kibune."

"An irregular request." Yamamoto huffed. "We typically try to promote from within the squad. Still, what you ask is not unheard of." Yamamoto turned to the small woman to his left for her input."Captain Suì-Fēng. Do you object to the transfer of this Makoto Kibune from your patrol corps to the 3rd division? As his current commanding officer do you have any reason to believe he is unsuited for such a position?"

"I am not familiar enough with the man to offer a comment commander. If Captain Amagai wants him then he may have him."

"Very well. You may consider the change approved Captain Amagai." Yamamoto tapped his cane twice more to show the matter was closed and they were moving on. "Next, we are still without anyone to fill the final captain vacancy and lead the 5th division. Has anyone thought of more suggestions since we last met?"

The captain of the 6th stepped forward. "It was revealed to me during the Ryoka invasion and Aizen's betrayal that my vice-captain Renji Abarai has achieved bankai. Despite that I do not believe he has the correct attitude for a captainship at this time. Perhaps in a few years."

Yamamoto nodded. "Thank you captain Kuchiki. Anyone else?"

Everyone remained silent.

Yamamoto seemed disappointed. "Very well. Then we will still be without one for the time being. Now on to the reason I called this meeting. The new members of the Central 46 will be taking office this week and I will be reporting to them all that we know so far about Aizen's plans and suspected goals. Once I have done so it will be our duty to-" Yamamoto stopped when one of his captains raised his hand. "Captain Shiba do you have something to add?"

"Sir. Before this meeting began I was contacted by Kisuke Urahara through a handheld device he gave me. He claims to have new information from a trustworthy source regarding Aizen's plans."

"And what is this information?"

"The day that Aizen is going to attack."

* * *

 **Hueco Mundo, Location Unknown**

"...don't believe he'll remember?" the first voice asked.

"Of course. I mixed the drug myself. I don't see why you can't just do this out in the open though." A second responded.

"While it is important that I correct this little oversight of mine it is preferable that they not be aware that I have done so. _**Shatter, Kyōka Suigetsu.**_ "

Chad shot upwards in his bed covered in a cold sweat as the nightmare ended. His breathing was heavy as he gripped the sheets so hard that his knuckles turned white. He went over to his personal restroom and splashed water on his face to cool off. He scooped his two hands under the faucet and brought a small pool of water to his lips.

He wiped himself dry with a hand towel and sighed audibly as he calmed down. Lazily he shuffled out of the restroom and crawled back into bed.

' _That's weird._ ' he thought to himself as he flipped the pillow over to the cool side and tried to get comfortable again. ' _I haven't had a nightmare since I was a kid back in Mexico_ _…_ _._ _What was I even dreaming about?_ '

He couldn't remember.

* * *

 **Time Until Aizen Moves Against Soul Society: Seven Weeks**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

 **A/N: Obligatory Ichigo x Neliel fluff chapter.**

* * *

 **Karakura Town, Amusement Park**

Ichigo ripped open the garganta and smiled. He loved that sound. To shinigami it was a sound that inspired fear or worry but to him there was something about a garganta opening that just hit the ears right. Neliel stepped out of the portal and looked down at the odd place below them. Humans were everywhere acting boisterous and cheerful as they migrated between various stands and brightly colored structures.

"Why did you bring me here?" she asked genuinely confused.

"You said you wanted to know more about what humans did for fun." Ichigo answered as he slowly descended to the ground.

"I thought that's what you showed me last night when I visited your room." Neliel replied before following him.

Once upon a time Ichigo would have blushed to such a remark but the fact that he grinned instead only served to testify to just how quickly a person can change. Especially when their soul itself gets altered. "Yes well...that's a different kind of fun. This is more of an all day thing. Come on, follow me."

Ichigo landed behind a wooden building and plopped the bag he was carrying down onto the pavement. Neliel dropped down next to him and rested her head near his neck as she watched him dig through the bag from over his shoulder. "What are you looking for?"

"These." Ichigo answered as he pulled out three nearly identical sundresses folded neatly on top of each other. The only difference being their color. The top one was a deep green, the middle a light yellow, and the bottom a brighter shade of purple. "I don't mean to be presumptuous but your current clothes are going to stick out like a sore thumb. I could go without everyone staring at us and ruining the mood. Which color do you want?" he asked as offered the folded dresses to her.

Neliel accepted the clothes into her hand and frowned a little. "What's wrong with my current clothes?" she demanded as she looked down at her white Espada uniform critically. There was nothing unsatisfactory with it. White jacket, white pants, white gloves...the outfit was pristine!

"There's nothing wrong with it per say..." Ichigo told her as he started to shed his own shinigami clothing. "...it's just not the typical thing people wear here. Unless you want to be biting peoples heads off all day for staring you'll need to change."

Neliel mentally conceded that he was the expert here and selected the yellow dress from the pile before handing the other two back to Ichigo. She draped the new outfit over her shoulder and then moved her hands down to undo the sealing on her pants. As she pulled them off she smirked as Ichigo pretended to be looking for his own new outfit inside his bag when in reality he was staring at her legs and her partially revealed behind.

Neliel didn't mind.

Nothing he hadn't seen last night after all.

Not too much later the two finished dressing into their casual outfits. Ichigo slipped his arms through the sleeve of a jacket and Neliel brushed some wrinkles off the hem of her dress. She had to admit, it was nice to dress so...unobstructed.

Ichigo dug into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out two small glistening black balls about the size of a jawbreaker candy. "Alright. Next, blow into these like a balloon." he instructed as he tossed one to her.

Neliel caught the ball but didn't understand. "What is a balloon?"

"Oh...right. Don't have those in Hueco Mundo. Do it like this." Ichigo took a deep breath and then brought the ball flush against his mouth. As he exhaled the orb expanded larger and larger until with a *pop* and a small puff of smoke it transformed into a perfect copy of Ichigo. It even had on the clothes he was wearing.

At Neliel's exasperated look Ichigo answered. "It's a portable gigai. Recently invented by an eccentric shop owner with a stupid hat who owed me a favor. It scans your reiatsu from your breath and creates a perfect faux body to use. Not sure how it gets the clothes right but it doesn't matter to me so long as it works."

Neliel breathed deep and blew into her own orb in the same manner that Ichigo had. Exactly as expected the ball inflated and a fake Nel poofed into existence. Ichigo was already impressed by the technology before but now he was stunned. He stared in awe as the gigai Nel was mysteriously without a hollow mask. Just a normal head full of luscious green wavy hair.

' _A safety measure maybe? It does simplify things I guess. And here I thought I was just going to have to tell people she liked funny hats._ ' Ichigo thought.

If Neliel was bothered by the change then she didn't express it as she stepped into the fake body one leg at a time. "...feels strange." she muttered under her breath.

Ichigo chuckled as he merged with his own gigai. "Yeah. Being in soul form is definitely more freeing."

Moments later the orange haired young man and his green haired date stepped out from behind the in-park restaurant and blended in with the crowd of people. A guard looked critically at the couple as they emerged from an employee-only area but Ichigo disarmed the man with a friendly smile and a wave. Or maybe the guard just didn't want to deal with it. Either worked as far as Ichigo was concerned.

"How do you people walk in these things? It's so cramped." Neliel complained as she nearly tripped over her own feet.

Ichigo caught her and looped his arm through hers to keep her steady. "Give it a few minutes. Your soul will adjust to having a physical body with a little time. Soon you won't notice it at all."

The two walked arm in arm with Ichigo gently guiding her along the way. Inside his head he was taking a stroll down memory lane at the time he came here with his parents when he was seven years old. It wasn't that big of an amusement park. It had practically nothing in comparison to the big parks in Tokyo and other major cities. How could it with Karakura being the size that it was? Still though. This place would always be Ichigo's favorite.

"What are you thinking about?" Neliel asked softly with a smile.

"Hmm?" Ichigo questioned.

"Was it your family?" Neliel guessed.

"How'd you know?" he asked not all that surprised.

"You always look like that when you think of them." she said as though it were obvious. "Tell me about them."

"What do you want to know?" Ichigo asked as they approached a food stand and Ichigo signaled a 'two' with his fingers to the vendor.

"Everything."

It seemed for hours that the two talked. Ichigo told story after story about his mother being wonderful, his father being an idiot, and all the shenanigans he had experienced with his two sisters. A few of the tales he exaggerated a bit but it was all worth it to hear Neliel laugh all the harder in that voice he loved. His tales would occasionally cause her to start telling one of her own. Usually a story about her fracción Pesche or Dondochakka who she thought of more like brothers than anything else. Despite how they refused to refer to her by any other way than 'Mistress Neliel'.

By the time the stories had finally died down and no one could think of anything more to add the two found themselves snuggled together side by side on a sleigh-like bench on a merry-go-round. Ichigo plucked a piece of their shared cotton candy off and held it up to Neliel's mouth. She leaned forward a bit and practically inhaled the sweet between Ichigo's fingers and then repeated the same action for him.

An attendant called over to the young couple and asked if they were staying on for another round and Ichigo signaled him a 'yes'.

Neliel sighed contently as the bells and whistles of the ride started again and her eyes drifted close. "This is nice..."she hummed contentedly.

"Yeah. I always loved this tune as a kid. Back then I was too much of a wimp to go on the more exciting rides." he admitted.

Neliel's eyes opened back up. "Exciting?" she asked with a dangerous glint in her eye.

12 minutes later and the 5th Espada was screaming like an excitable child as the only major roller coaster in the park reached its zenith and then plummeted straight down. It went through a miniature maze of curves, spins, and loop-de-loops before slamming to a stop as it reached the end of the ride.

Neliel's hair was a mess and looked more like a mop from the wind whipping it around. Her eyes were obscured by the locks of green and she was giggling to herself. "hehehehehe...again...we're going again."

"If you enjoyed that you should see the real coasters that the major parks have." Ichigo teased. "They'd blow this baby right out of the water."

"We're going someday." Neliel stated. It wasn't up for debate.

After the two had spent a little more time bouncing from ride to ride and Neliel had accidentally broke a strength machine despite Ichigo's warning to 'hit it lightly' the duo were sitting at a wooden bench as Neliel took samplings of all the fairground food.

"Mmmm it's so gooood." Neliel moaned as she chewed on the slice of pizza.

"I hope so. The prices here are ridiculous." Ichigo commented.

"Hmm? Oh right. You all use that money stuff outside of Hueco Mundo. Where'd you get it?"

Ichigo smiled fondly as he remembered. "Ohhhh I don't think that matters. Let's just say that being invisible in a world of humans is pretty useful and leave it at that."

Neliel licked some cheese off her fingers as she finished the slice and then leered hungrily at the rest of the banquet before her. "Alright...what do I try next?"

The evening eventually reached it's conclusion with the couple lying peacefully on a blanket atop a grassy hillside that the park had set aside as a picnic area.

A nearby pole with two speakers attached to it's top gave off an annoying electrical feedback noise as it came to life. _Ding Dong Ding! Attention park goers. The park will be closing in 30 minutes. I repeat, the park will be closing in 30 minutes. Please begin making your way to the designated exits. The management would like to thank you for your cooperation._

Ichigo nudged the woman cuddling next to him and whispered "Hey. I think it's time we get going."

"Don't wanna. Comfy." she complained with her head on his chest and arms on his waist. "Hey Ichigo?"

"Hmm?"

"Are we family now?"

Ichigo sputtered. "E-Excuse me?" he asked confused.

"All those groups of people we saw today were families and you said that you came here before with your family, Does that mean we're family?"

"That's not how human families work Nel. It's more complex than that."

"Explain it to me."

Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck wondering how to start. "Well typically speaking a family has two spouse's and-"

"What are those?" she asked cutting him off.

"Oh..uh...usually its a husband and wife." Ichigo answered.

Neliel just crinkled her brow at even more unfamiliar terms.

"A man and woman that have decided to spend their life together." he explained.

Understanding finally dawned on Neliel's face. "Oh. Like us. So we are family." she said happily.

While Neliel snuggled deeper into his side with eyes closed Ichigo started to sweat as every red light and danger alert blared loudly in his head. He needed to correct the misunderstanding immediately or face an even more awkward conversation later.

"Uh...no Nel. That's not how being a husband and wife works." he prodded gently.

Neliel's eyes opened and she sat up clearly unamused. She turned to Ichigo with a cold look in her eyes that he hadn't seen since she had first started kicking his ass during training. "Then how does it work?" she demanded.

Ichigo gulped. "The um...man and woman...have to get married. Agree to be each others for the rest of their lives. To have no one else." he explained nervously.

"So it's an agreement?" she questioned still in that cold voice.

Ichigo nodded trying not to take a misstep by speaking.

"You are mine." She stated adamantly as one hand grabbed his crotch territorially. Something which elevated Ichigo's inner panic by several degrees. "...and I am yours." she finished switching to her sweet and gentle voice before leaning up and pecking him lovingly on the lips. "Agreed?"

Ichigo again nodded. "Agreed." he said weakly.

Neliel smiled. "Good." She released her grip on his nether regions and leaned back down to her previous position of cuddling into his side peacefully.

Meanwhile many different thoughts were racing inside Ichigo's mind. Though the main one was this. _'_ _What the fuck just happened?'_

* * *

 **Soul Society, Outside Yamamoto's Office, The Next Day**

Zennosuke Kurumadani, the new shinigami assigned to watch over Karakura town was so nervous he was shaking. Literally shaking. Sweat poured down his face staining his uniform and him focusing on making sure his impressive afro was presentable was the only thing that gave him even the smallest amount of composure.

"Enter." came the unmistakable voice of the captain-commander of the Gotei 13.

The large double doors seemed to open on their own and Zennosuke walked into the room trying desperately not to to trip over his own feet. _'_ _Oh gods why is captain Shiba here too? What did I do? What did I do?'_

"Zennosuke Kurumadeni. Do you know why I have summoned you to my office?" Yamamoto asked in his usual gruff.

Zennosuke gulped. "I-I-I have a guess sir. Is it a-a-about the report I s-s-submitted yesterday?" the shinigami stuttered out.

Isshin suppressed the urge to laugh. "Oy old man the boy looks like he's going to piss his pants just by being here. Quite the reputation you must have among the lower ranks." Isshin japed to his commander.

Yamamoto ignored the comment. "Yes Zennosuke. This report you gave." The commander confirmed as he picked a sheet of paper off his desk. "You claim here that while on a routine sweep yesterday you saw Ichigo Kurosaki re-enter Karakura Town through a garganta in the company of an Arrancar and then you discretely observed them throughout the day? Would you say that is accurate?"

"Y-y-yes sir!" the shinigami stammered.

"How did they not notice you?" Yamamoto questioned.

Isshin scoffed. "Come on old man. Even with my crappy sensing I can feel that this guy's reiatsu level is average on his best day. Do you notice every bug on the ground as you go through your day?"

Zennosuke was too nervous to feel insulted.

"Very well. I accept that that you weren't seen. What did Ichigo Kurosaki do with this Arrancar? Hold nothing back soldier. This is the first we've seen of the enemy and anything at all could be considered valuable intelligence." Yamamoto ordered.

Zennosuke pulled at his collar. "Um..well..that is...you see..."

"Speak soldier!" the commander barked.

"A date commander! The two appeared to be on a date!"

Yamamoto froze. His fist clenched and cracked the top of his cane. He had suffered disrespect in the past. Still did from a few of the captains. But never before...not ever... in the thousand years he had held his position had a lowly...average...unranked...peon in his army have the nerve to play a practical joke on him in his own office.

Before Yama's top blew Isshin rushed over to the shinigami and started shaking him violently by the shoulders. "A date? Are you sure? What did she look like? What did they do? Tell me!" he demanded as he shook Zennosuke harder.

Zennosuke reached into his shihakusho breast pocket as his head bobbed back and forth. "t-t-took p-p-pictures..." he managed to say before Isshin released him and the man fell to the ground from dizziness.

Isshin snatched the stack of pictures from the downed man and looked at the first one. A image of Ichigo and a green haired Arrancar dressed all in white descending towards the ground. ' _Holy crap she's gorgeous._ ' He flipped through to the next picture and then the next and the next and the next and each time his smile grew wider.

Isshin pumped his fist in the air and had comedic tears running down his face. "My boy is finally a man! I'm so proud of you son!" he yelled to the open air.

"Get the hell out of my office captain Shiba." Yamamoto growled.

* * *

 **Time Until Aizen Moves Against Soul Society: Five Weeks**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

 **Soul Society, 9** **th** **Division Barracks**

"Get back here you rotten kids!" 17th seat Tamaki screamed at his captains daughters.

"Karin!" Yuzu whined as she ran behind her sister. "Why did you do that? Dad said you aren't allowed to prank members of his squad anymore!"

"No, what he said was no pranks during lessons anymore." Karin rebutted.

The two girls reached a corner of the building and slid on their socks for a quicker cleaner turn. Running down a new hallway Karin jumped over a man meticulously scrubbing the wooden floor while Yuzu danced around his side while quickly saying 'excuse me sorry pardon me I'm sorry'.

"But Karin we were in a lesson! Tamaki is supposed to be teaching us the basics of swordplay." Yuzu protested, continuing the conversation.

"Yeah well he's a crap teacher so your point is invalid." Karin retorted.

"I heard that you shitty brat!" Tamaki screamed as he turned the corner himself.

"Tch. He's catching up." Karin spat out annoyed.

"What do we do?" Yuzu cried out.

Karin suddenly sported a mischievous grin."Remember what we practiced yesterday?" she asked.

Yuzu's eyes lit up as yes she did remember but she seemed hesitant to say yes. Eventually she did nod in affirmation.

"Alright then. On three. One...two...three!"

The Kurosaki twins turned around abruptly and each held two fingers out to the man chasing them.

" _ **Hadō #1: Shō!**_ **/** _ **Bakudō #1: Sai!**_ " the girls chanted in unison.

Yuzu's binding spell trapped the mans arms behind his back while Karin's small thrust of energy nailed the man right in the ankle. Tamaki tried desperately to maintain his balance but with both arms stuck behind him there was no other outcome but to slam face first into the barracks floor.

Karin smirked triumphantly and pumped her fist in the air with a cry of 'Yeah' whilst Yuzu clutched her sheathed zanpakutō tightly against her chest, inwardly panicking that she actually went through with it and attacked an officer. Albeit a very low ranking one.

Tamaki snapped the magical bindings on his arms and looked up from the floor. His face was bright red from both the impact, his now bleeding nose, and his ever growing displeasure.

"Shit he's getting up! Come on Yuzu let's go!" Karin yelled as she grabbed her sisters hand and pulled her along.

"But Karin where are we supposed to go?" Yuzu whined loudly in exasperation.

Over in a corner room of the building lieutenant Hisagi of the 9th division snacked on a meat bun as his guests lieutenant's Kira and Hinamori of the 3rd and 5th divisions played a game of shōgi against each other.

Kira's eyes glanced to the sliding door as the commotion outside got even louder. "Shouldn't you go deal with that?" he asked as he moved a piece on the board.

"It's not my problem." Hisagi stated with certainty.

"Ehhh? Shūhei you aren't slacking on your duties as a lieutenant are you?" Hinamori accused as if scandalized by the very notion.

"It's. Not. My. Problem." he said more adamantly daring them to dispute him.

* * *

 **Hueco Mundo, The Desert Just Outside Las Noches**

The tall Arrancar sipped his drink experimentally. Sweet but still a tad robust. Clean with a powerful finish. The Arrancar set the cup back down on it's saucer and smiled.

"This tea is really good." Shawlong Koufang commented genuinely impressed. "Ylfordt you should try some."

"I'm busy." the Arrancar with long yellow hair replied. His worried expression focused intensely on the fight they were observing.

"There's no reason you can't try it while still watching the-"

"I don't want to try the damn tea!" the 25th Arrancar snapped back while gnawing on his thumb. "...he's losing."

* * *

Grimmjow crashed into the ground at such speed it sounded like a miniature explosion. Sand and rock were kicked up into the air and a small crater had formed where he landed. The 6th Espada pushed up off his knees as he panted heavily and ignored the singe marks on his skin.

' _No. I refuse to accept this. I was prepared to acknowledge that he might be better than me...but not by this much! No one is this much better than me! It's gotta be a trick...he's just putting up a front._ '

"Try this one Kurosaki!" Grimmjow roared, his voice full of lust for battle. His knees bent a little as he charged a great red cero over his hand and then launched it with a maniacal laugh.

* * *

"Edrad do you want to try some tea?" Shawlong asked congenially, offering a small cup and saucer to the man. "Ichigo did go all the way to the human world to get it."

The red headed musclebound fracción frowned. "How can you sit there sampling drinks when our leader is fighting as hard as he is?"

"Because I already know how this ends." He stated casually. "The outcome of the fight was already decided the moment Grimmjow challenged Ichigo."

"You think he'll turn it around when he releases his Resurrección?" the 35th Arrancar Nakeem Grinida guessed as he reached for the cup that Edrad had declined.

Shawlong smiled. At least one of his fellow fracción seemed willing to try the drink. "No." He said in the same calm voice. "Our boss doesn't stand a chance at all."

* * *

Ichigo stood in the air passively looking down at his opponent and the red blast approaching him. Tensa Zangetsu was resting peacefully over his shoulder and his stance was incredibly lax. He tried to resist the urge of rolling his eyes at the attack but found he just couldn't help it. When the blast finally reached him Ichigo simply slapped it away into the horizon with his free hand.

Grimmjow's face of excitement turned to one of disbelief at what he was seeing. _'_ _But...that's not possi...with his bare hand?'_

"Are you done with this? I have other things I could be doing you know." Ichigo asked a bit bored.

Grimmjow's fists tightened and he snarled. "Not yet!" he screamed as he drew his sword. " _ **Grind, Pantera!**_ "

Twin helix's of smoke burst from the ground obscuring Grimmjow's form as the wind picked up violently. Ichigo's cloak whipped around from the force and a smile crept onto his lips. ' _Finally._ '

The 6th Espada burst from the smoke cloud to reveal his new form. Claws, a tail, several other cat like features, and hair that now stretched all the way down his back. He rocketed towards Ichigo and pulled his claw back in preparation to slash him across the chest.

However just as he swiped Ichigo vanished and he hit nothing but the open air. He felt a piece of cool metal resting flush on the back of his neck and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Dead." Ichigo said from behind him.

Grimmjow growled and swung his other hand around to backhand his opponent but just as before he hit nothing but air. This time he felt the point of the metal on his lower back.

"Kidney." the voice said as he poked Tensa Zangetsu into his back just hard enough to draw a trickle of blood.

Grimmjow flew into a rage and started swiping and kicking wildly at Ichigo who simply dodged or ran away from every attack that was thrown at him. Stopping only to occasionally taunt his opponent when he could have capitalized on an opening and effectively ended the fight.

Tensa Zangetsu hovering over the outstretched wrist. "Hand."

A prick in the back that could've been deep if Ichigo had wanted it. "Lung."

Blade over the heart. "Dead."

Grimmjow's rage grew with each insult and his attacks became more erratic, desperate to land a strike on his opponent. The closest he came was with a surprise attack from his tail that in the end only caused Ichigo to jump away and put some distance between the two.

The 6th Espada raised his elbow up like a cannon. " _ **Garra de la Pantera!**_ " Five crystalline stone projectiles launched at his foe at high speed. Grimmjow knew Kurosaki would dodge. There was no way he wouldn't. Instead of watching the stones to see just where his attack eventually landed Grimmjow prepared to retaliate for when Kurosaki mocked him again. There was no chance in hell he was letting that damnable black blade touch his body again.

This time he would be ready.

Grimmjow trusted his instincts. It was coming. Kurosaki wouldn't be able to help himself. Any moment now.

A tiny projectile splashed harmlessly against Grimmjow's shoulder.

The Espada blinked. His concentration broke and he scanned the surroundings for the source. Just as he located it a second attack hit him center mass and also shattered without doing any damage just like the first had.

Off far to the side was Kurosaki holding a bow and arrow of vibrating blue energy.

"What the hell are you doing Kurosaki?" Grimmjow demanded angrily as he ground his teeth together.

Ichigo shrugged. "Just getting some practice in. I thought we were doing the whole 'long-range attack thing' now." he said casually as he fired another arrow.

Grimmjow batted it away with ease. It didn't even sting his hand. "You call that an attack?" he tried to jeer.

"No." Ichigo stated as he gathered energy for a fourth arrow. This one slightly bigger than the last. "Hence the practice."

The 6th Espada's anger finally boiled over. ' _I wanted a fight! A battle between two kings who stand above others! But he won't even take me seriously! He's using my challenge as a time to practice! I'll make him see! I'm not someone you can practice with! I am the 6_ _th_ _Espada! Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez!_ '

Grimmjow pointed two fingers forward and a ball of black electric-like energy with a thin blue outline burst into being. "Just try and slap this one away! I dare ya!The cero only an Espada in their Resurrección can use! _**CERO OSCURAS!**_ "

Ichigo quickly dropped his bow and started charging his own cero to combat the attack. Red met black and the two energy waves clashed for dominance for only a second before red overtook black and continued onwards unencumbered.

Grimmjow was too shocked too dodge. ' _Impossible. The Espada's cero. Our cero. Defeated by a regular-_ ' The weakened blast connected sending Grimmjow careening to the ground below. At the last moment Grimmjow caught himself and managed to stabilize mid-air before he caused another crater.

Up on high Ichigo was doing something Grimmjow hadn't seen yet. Ichigo placed Tensa Zangetsu in the center of the blue reishi bow and pulled it back as though his sword was the arrow itself. Tensa Zangetsu wrapped itself in fiery black energy that seemed eager to be freed.

"What are you doing?" Grimmjow asked just barely audible. Part of his voice quieted by confusion and the rest of it by fear.

Ichigo smiled. "Experimenting." he released his grip on the drawstring and all the energy around his zanpakutō launched forwards in a colossal black and crimson arrow. Grimmjow jumped out of the way rather then try to knock this one away too. He was glad he did when the arrow hit where he was standing and erupted into a pillar of energy that reached as high as Las Noches was tall.

" _ **Desgarrōn!**_ " Grimmjow bellowed as he readied to use his strongest attack. The tips of each of his clawed fingers glowed blue and in an instant 10 long reishi blades had formed over his hands. With a yell he swiped one hand outward and launched five of them at Ichigo who simply prepared another getsuga arrow in response.

Ichigo jumped backwards and fired off a quick volley of black arrows to intercept the blades as they followed him. Five explosive arrows met five reishi blades and each time a part of Grimmjow's attack shattered into pieces from the force.

Grimmjow watched stunned as his greatest technique was taken out in seconds and he lost all motivation for continuing the fight.

He wasn't surprised in the least when he realized Ichigo had appeared behind him and was pointing an overcharged getsuga arrow at the small of his back.

"Are you done?" Ichigo asked for the second time today.

It started as a small chuckle, grew to a steady snickering, and soon Grimmjow was roaring in laughter whilst the remaining half of his desgarrōn technique dissipated. "Yeah. I'm done. I heard you were good Kurosaki but I didn't expect you to be this good. I never stood a chance."

The 6th Espada's sword reformed on his waist and his Reurrección traits dissolved into spirit particles and flew back into the sheathed katana.

"I'll be here if you ever want a rematch." Ichigo offered amicably.

Grimmjow smirked. "You can count on it. I'm gonna be king of this place someday and I'll tear down anyone who gets in my way. I'll see you around Kurosaki." Grimmjow stuck his hands in his pockets before turning around and stalking away.

Ichigo watched silently as the Espada left not really sure if there was anything else to say. Footsteps approaching behind him turned his head a little as the five fracción who were observing the match walked by.

Di Roy gave a little nod of acknowledgment to Ichigo but didn't speak. Edrad and Nakeem did their best to ignore him and Ylfordt just seemed terrified of the power he'd seen Ichigo wield. The last stayed behind a moment as the others followed after Grimmjow.

"He gonna be okay?" Ichigo asked Shawlong.

The Arrancar nodded. "His pride will recover. I would not follow Grimmjow if defeat could shake him so severely. Although...I must admit that I didn't expect you to do it so effortlessly."

"You didn't think I would win?" Ichigo asked a tad surprised. Shawlong had observed Ichigo training with Neliel and Chad a few days back and should have had an idea of what he could do.

"On the contrary, I was the only one among my compatriots who thought you would win. In fact I was sure that you would. I simply underestimated how much your bankai would increase your abilities. May I ask why you decided to use it immediately? You would likely have enjoyed the match more if you limited yourself."

Ichigo shrugged a little. "It just seemed rude not to. He challenged me, said he was going to go all out, thought I would too is all."

"Yet you didn't fight seriously once you had."

"Well I didn't want to kill the guy!" Ichigo said exasperatedly. "He comes off as a bit of a volatile prick but that's no reason to really try and hurt him."

Shawlong chuckled. "Yes...it takes a while to get used to his natural...abrasiveness. Well I'll see you around Ichigo. Thank you for the tea." he said as he left to catch up with his fellow fracción.

"Don't be a stranger." Ichigo called back with a smile. ' _Hmmm. Now what?_ ' Ichigo reformed his blue reishi bow and created another getsuga arrow by pulling his sword back against the drawstring. He examined it more critically and only one thought came to mind.

"I have so got to show this to Chad." he murmured excitedly under his breath.

Four minutes and a few dashes of his unique mix of shunpo and sonido later Ichigo entered the long corridor that eventually led to his and Chad's living quarters. As he walked down the hallway he realized there was another reiatsu present coming from inside his best friends room. Someone he wasn't quite familiar enough with to recognize instantly.

As he slowly got closer he decided to play a little game with himself and make a guess of it. His sensory abilities may have improved a great amount since assimilating his inner hollow but considering the fact that they were utter trash before that wasn't saying too much.

' _Let's see, first eliminate who it's not. It's definitely part Hollow. Rules out Tōsen or Gin stopping by. I'd recognize Neliel, Pesche, or Dondochakka instantly. Feels less potent than Zommari...can't be Shawlong because I just saw him a moment ago. Dordoni? Nah he feels more wild. Like a storm. This reiatsu does have a sense of ferocity to it though. But it's more of a..._

Ichigo stopped mid-stride as he realized who it was. A smile crawled onto his face as he mentally congratulated his friend. ' _Way to go Chad! Finally made a move on Mila-Rose...shoot who am I kidding she's probably the one who pounced on him._ '

Ichigo spun on his heel and walked away. "I can just talk to him later." he told himself. "Dude can use a little stress relief."

* * *

 **A Few Days Later, Barragan's Private Chambers  
**

The previous king of Hueco Mundo sat in his chair with his ever loyal fracción standing behind him. The grizzled old Espada took a moment to look at each of his gathered allies. Bringing the 5th Espada and the human named Sado into the fold were definite boons to his chances yes, but after so many years of planning...he had hoped for better.

Oh well. It'll have to do.

"So we are in agreement then. Tomorrow." Barragan spoke.

"Tomorrow." the others chorused.

* * *

 **Time Until Aizen Moves Against Soul Society: Three Weeks**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

 **Hueco Mundo, Las Noches Meting Room**

Most of the attendees to the weekly meeting sat silently as the usual speakers took turns delivering their reports. Ulquiorra spoke briefly on a trip into the forest of Menos to investigate rumors of a newly evolved Vasto Lorde running around, Szayel chatted excitedly about his advances in some scientific field using terminology that none but Aizen really understood, Stark complained about some minor issue he was loo lazy to fix himself, and finally the leader of Las Noches announced that the Hōgyoku would fully awaken in just under three weeks time.

As the meeting ended and people began to rise from their seats and head to the main exit Barragan stroked his chin slowly as though contemplating recent events. Ichigo caught the signal and walked towards Aizen at a leisurely pace.

The man in question turned away from a hushed conversation he was having with Gin and smiled pleasantly. "Good evening Ichigo. Is there something I can help you with?" he asked.

In the corner of his eye Ichigo watched most of the Espada leave through the large double doors before he answered. "Yeah. It occurred to me the other day that my knowledge in kidō is rather lacking. I was wondering If you or Tōsen could give me a rundown on what spells I should expect to see from the captains and their lieutenants. The last thing I need is to be stuck in a bakudō I don't know how to break out of."

Gin still standing next to Aizen pretended to be offended. "Oy oy oy. Just Tōsen or captain Aizen? What about me Ichigo? And here I thought we were friends?" he said with his usual far too wide smile. "I promise to be gentle."

Ichigo did his best to ignore the mans dramatics and Aizen chuckled at Ichigo's ignoring. "Of course Ichigo. I myself am rather busy but I'm sure Kaname will be able to find some time for you in the coming days." Aizen spoke.

Meanwhile, Chad walked behind Aizen and Gin as he pretended to move to the exit. His eyes briefly connected with his best friend and he gave Ichigo a subtle nod that he was in fact talking to Aizen. Double confirmation that there was no illusion in play.

"Will you be attempting to incorporate some kidō into your own repertoire as well? I must say it would be quite the ambitious undertaking considering we are less than one month away." Aizen inquired.

Ichigo tilted his head to the right as if he were actually considering the idea. "Hmm. No I don't think so. It's probably best If I just focus on learning how to neutralize the disabling spells."

Barragan finally stood from his chair. Ichigo had tilted his head to the right and not the left. The green light had been given.

"It would of course be better if you simply don't get hit by them in the first place." Aizen said humorously.

Ichigo laughed and rubbed the back of his head with one hand. "Well you've got me there."

Barragan passed behind the group and focused on his hand. Building up the mental energies to drastically age someone with only a touch.

Aizen did a quarter turn to show the conversation was over. "Well if that's all Ichigo I will-"

Barragan lunged.

Aizen wheeled around at lightning speed to snatch the arm coming at him but Ichigo just as quickly locked onto Aizen's wrist with an outstretched hand preventing the shinigami from stopping what was about to happen. Gin could've interfered but oddly enough he didn't.

Barragan's palm latched onto Aizen's face and the previous king wasted no time in aging the current ones skull into dust.

One of only four Espada still in the room, Stark unsheathed his sword and launched himself at the mutineers but found his blade intercepted by Neliel who had been expecting the retaliation.

The only other Espada in the room, Ulquiorra watched it all unfold impassively. Fulfilling his promise of non-interference. His loyalty was too whomever was the leader of Las Noches and Hueco Mundo. He saw no reason to intercede if one king wished to supplant another.

Aizen's body shook and spasmed as his head rotted away into nothingness. His skull into powder, skin into flakes, and the rest into an unidentifiable goop.

Ichigo would have been disgusted if his attention were not focused entirely on something else.

Tōsen stood in the corner looking not at all distressed by what was happening. If anything he was looking at Ichigo's group with...pity? Tōsen sighed morosely and shook his head in disappointment. He then tilted his head upwards to the ceiling as if awaiting instruction.

Aizen's body slowly faded away and Barragan's expression widened fearfully.

"I will grant you points for simplicity." A dreaded voice spoke from above them. "Not even I am safe from the unique power Barragan wields. Why make an assassination complicated when simply touching the target will do?"

"B-But...but that's impossible." Ichigo stammered. "You've never used Kyōka Suigetsu on me!"

"Didn't I? As I recall I even had close to a dozen witnesses." Aizen said as though it were obvious.

"That wasn't me!" Ichigo protested in denial; remembering the incident of him going berserk. "If anything you only used it on my inner hollow!"

Aizen grinned softly. "A hollow that you fused into your soul correct? A hollow that is now an inseparable part of you if I'm not mistaken."

Ichigo's breathing picked up as he realized how careless his assumption was that he was safe. "But Chad hasn't seen-"

"Come now Ichigo. Did you really think I would allow anyone under this roof to not be under my control? I corrected that small oversight weeks ago."

"The nightmare..." Chad breathed out in a whisper as he suddenly remembered.

"I must confess I am saddened you have chosen this path Ichigo. I saved you and your friend from a prison cell and not three months later you work to have me killed. It is certainly an odd way to show gratitude. Do you no longer care about taking revenge on the Gotei 13?"

Ichigo materialized Zangetsu from the spirit particles in the air and gripped it tightly. "That revenge won't matter if you destroy the world!"

Barragan pressed a small button inside one of his pockets that signaled to his and Neliel's fracción that they were unfortunately going to have to go with 'Plan B'.

A side wall to the conference room exploded inward and eight Arrancar jumped into the room. Six landed behind Barragan while the other two joined Neliel causing Stark to disengage from their small clash and move to Aizen's side.

"Your blade my King." Ggio Vega said, presenting a giant axe to Barragan.

Aizen held his usual smile as he looked down upon them all. "Such a shame that so many promising Arrancar will need replacing. Stark, why don't you educate this fallen monarch on why you are the Primera and he is not?"

The sonido was practically instantaneous. One moment stark was beside Aizen and the next his blade was grinding against Barragan's axe, little sparks flew into the air from where the weapons connected. Ichigo sprung into action and charged at Aizen while Tōsen moved in from the corner to intercept him. Tōsen was then blocked by Chad, Aizen disappeared again causing Ichigo to run through an illusion, and still not making any moves whatsoever was Gin smiling at it all.

Stark blew a hole in the ceiling with a Bala from his fingertip and taunted Barragan to follow which the old Arrancar begrudgingly did after giving a brief glance Ichigo's way. Chad tried to restrain Tōsen but the move backfired when the blind man grappled Chad's arm and threw him over his shoulder, causing the empowered human to go smashing through the double doors. Tōsen slowly slid his sword from it's sheathe and chased after the man he had just sent flying.

"Chad! Just hang in there!" Ichigo called out hoping his friend could hear him.

A series of illusionary Aizen's appeared. One stood upside-down on the ceiling, another on the side of a wall. One to the right of Ichigo and another in the middle of the protective circle that Neliel and all the fracción had arranged themselves in.

"You have other things to worry about besides your friend Ichigo Kurosaki." All the Aizen's spoke in unison.

Ichigo slashed at the empty air in front of him figuring that none of the Aizen's were real and he may as well take a shot in the dark at hitting where the real one was. Neliel fired a Bala at each of the illusions just to be sure while the fracción as a group attempted to impale the Aizen closest to them.

"I invited you into my palace." A new Aizen said as he materialized.

"I offered you the revenge you so desperately craved." A second one spoke.

"I provided sanctuary when you and your friend were alone in the world." A third said appearing directly behind Ichigo causing the man to jump.

"Such a waste of talent." They all said as one and Ichigo knew the attack was coming.

" _ **Bankai.**_ " Ichigo muttered under his breath and brought his full powers to bear. His only hope of fighting back was if he had the speed to react in a fraction of a second. His outfit transformed to the familiar black cloak and his sword slimmed down into Tensa Zangetsu.

"Ulquiorra, Gin. Keep the rest of the rabble in line. I'm going to indulge myself a little while I show young Ichigo here why it was foolhardy to cross me." One of the Aizen's ordered.

Ulquiorra rose from the table, the last one from the meeting to do so, and turned his emotionless stare at Neliel and the fracción. "Yes Lord Aizen." Barragan's attempt to reclaim his throne in one swift move had failed. As far as the Espada was concerned his promise of non-interference was fulfilled and done with. Aizen was still Lord.

"Awww and I wanted to watch your fight captain Aizen. Guess I'll just have to wrap this up quickly." Gin pouted as he drew his sword and started a slow walk towards the group of nine Arrancar uprisers.

* * *

 **With Barragan and Stark**

' _Lilynette. The roof. I need you on the roof.'_ Stark spoke in in his head, trying to get a message to his other half through the unique connection they shared. The mental link was dodgy at best and they had never been able to communicate articulate sentences before, usually just generalized emotions, but it was worth a shot at the very least.

The Primera Espada briefly glanced behind him and saw that the Segunda was still chasing after him. The old king of Hueco Mundo ran his palm over the edge of his axe coating his hand in his blood. As they reached within 100 feet of the roof of Las Noches a dark purple, almost black colored cero began to build rapidly in Barragan's hand.

Stark sent a hastily charged cero ahead of him to split open the roof and the top Espada shot out of the palace and into the eternal night sky of Hueco Mundo. He banked left at a hard 90 degree angle and just barely dodged the Gran Rey Cero that had followed him out the hole. Stark went down to one knee and skidded across the air as he regained his balance.

Barragan floated up through the opening in the ceiling and calmly stepped onto the outer roof of Las Noches looking a bit annoyed. "Why are we here?" he demanded to know.

Stark got back to his feet and massaged the back of his neck with one hand. "You know the rules. Espada's of rank 4 or greater are not allowed to release inside of Las Noches."

"How ridiculous." Barragan dismissed. "A King does not follow the orders of others. But if your intention is to skip the foreplay and go straight to our Resurreción's then I would be happy to oblige." Barragan held his axe out in front of him pointing downward. " _ **Rot, Arrogante!**_ "

Four streams of black and purple fire poured out of the gem embedded in the center of axe. There was no great release of reiatsu and the wind did not pick up from the cascading energies. There wasn't even any sound made as the dark flames wrapped themselves around Barragan and obscured him from view. Not two seconds later a crowned skeletal head peaked out of the fire and the flames coalesced into an extravagant fur cloak. The entire process was as silent as death itself.

Stark jumped into the offensive and let loose a storm of Bala's at his foe while leaping back to gain more distance.

"Useless." Barragan muttered as each of the attacks fizzled into nothingness as they approached him.

Stark was unperturbed and simply simply switched to something stronger. A volley of deep blue cero's came at Barragan and just as before the previous king let them travel unencumbered.

The cero's made it a little farther then the Bala's did, managing to get into what could be called Barragan's 'personal space' but once there they rapidly dissipated as well.

Barragan took a step forward and the palace roof crumbled away under his foot. With each step he took the decay spread and the hole in the ceiling grew and grew. "Show me your Resurreción Primera." Barragan demanded. "Show me what power Sōsuke dared to think was greater then mine."

Stark remained silent. Bala's did nothing. Cero's not much better. Time to go bigger. Stark nicked his thumb on one of the teeth of his mask along his neckline and prepared his own Gran Rey Cero.

"That too will be useless." Barragan said with certainty. "Not even the king's cero is immune from my power."

"You'll have to excuse me if I don't take your word for it." Stark replied calmly. " _ **Gran Rey Cero.**_ "

Barragan suppressed the urge to laugh as the sporadic cero barreled towards him. He raised a single skeletal hand up and breathed out " _ **Respira.**_ "

A dark aura extended out from the insides of Barragan's cloak and moved to intercept the blast. The moment it made contact the cero detonated in a brilliant explosion that forced Stark to raise an arm over his eyes. He was fortunate to keep one eye cracked because the explosion was almost instantly snuffed out by the dark wave and the Primera had to jump away when it got too close for comfort. Stark's mind was running wild at the implications of what he just witnessed. He couldn't sense anything from the dark energy and yet it was evidently powerful enough to halt and then muffle his Gran Rey Cero.

Luckily for him Barragan seemed to be in a lecturing mood. "The king's cero is by it's very nature unstable. It cannot even exist for a solid minute before it collapses upon itself. The explosion afterwards is even more short-lived. One second of incredible destructiveness and then it is gone. Such things will never hurt me. You'd have better luck with the Bala's."

Stark seemed stunned. "What is your power?" he asked not sure he wanted the answer.

"Time." he answered reverentially. "The one force that is absolute in this world. Ever-present, inescapable, and all-consuming. Whether one is hollow, shinigami, arrancar, man, beast, or plant. Nothing is safe from my power. It is the power of God himself. Now show me yours so I can crush it! _**Respira!**_ "

The darkness shot out towards Stark at a speed quicker then he was expecting. He dropped down low as the wave passed over him and erased one of the towers atop Las Noches to nothing. This started a dance between the two as more and more of the darkness spread throughout the area and Stark narrowly dodged it by the skin of his teeth. Occasionally he'd have a free moment to fire off a cero at his opponent but each time the energy would dissolve away the moment it got close to him.

The darkness nicked the hem of his pants and the rot immediately began to spread. With lightning quick reflexes Stark tore off the piece of offending clothing and tossed it into the wind. A moment later and it was gone from the world.

A familiar energy popped up in his peripherals and he spotted Lilynette's head appear from the massive hole in the ceiling.

"Heeeeey Stark! The hell is going on? There's a bunch of fights going on downstairs and you're up here-" Lilynette was cut off when her other half dashed in front of her and roughly grabbed her face without stopping.

" _ **Kick about, Los Lobos!**_ "

Bluish gray smoke exploded outward from Stark's back and his reiatsu more than doubled. Barragan momentarily halted his attack to see what his opponents transformation looked like.

He was disappointed.

A few patches of grey fur, a bit of hollow mask now covering one eye, and a pair of guns instead of a blade. He practically looked the same. " _GIVE ME A WARNING FIRST ASSHOLE!_ " one of the guns screamed at its owner with a voice that seemingly came from nowhere.

 _'His release is to combine with his fracci_ _ón? How peculiar. But it matters not. The two combined are still insects before my power.'_ Another swipe of Barragan's hand and the dark energies raced towards Stark once again.

Stark vanished in a blur of sonido and reappeared somewhere to the left of Barragan. ' _As expected. He's far faster now. But I wonder how long the 'great' Primera Espada can dodge before death finds him?_ ' the old king thought in amusement.

After dodging yet another wave of darkness Stark decided to move back on the offensive. He landed a healthy distance behind Barragan and pointed one gun at his back. A aura of blue energy shimmered around him and a cero started to charge in the barrel of his weapon.

" _ **Cero Metralleta.**_ "

Tiny dots of light glimmered briefly in front of Stark before exploding outwards into an absolute sea of cero's. They numbered in the hundreds and then the thousands as they fired without end.

Barragan laughed heartily as they surrounded him and he found himself watching blue energy race by from every conceivable angle. So _this_ was the power of the Primera? A hollow with supreme dominance over ceros? A complete mastery over the art that can't be competed with by anyone, not even him the rightful King of Hueco Mundo. It was impressive for sure, but it still was no threat to him. The cero's covered such a wide range of the battlefield that most of them flew harmlessly past him. The ones that would have made contact aged away into harmless particles before they hit.

His laughter abruptly stopped when he felt something clamp down on his arm. If he still had proper eyes in this form they would have widened in astonishment at the wolf snarling at him as it bit down into his robe. The wolf started to shine a blinding blue and for the first time in hundreds of years Barragan Luisenbarn was injured when the creature exploded point-blank.

Barragan burst outside the sea of cero's cradling his arm. Part of his cloak was gone and there were a series of small cracks trailing up his radius and ulna.

' _What was that beast? And how was it unaffected by my power?_ ' he mentally questioned not believing what he just experienced.

The ocean of cero's disappeared and revealed Stark standing to the side surrounded by a large pack of around three dozen wolves.

Stark rested his hand atop the head of the hound closest to him and scratched it behind one of its ears with a lazy smile."I think I finally understand why Lord Aizen made me the Primera." he announced.

Barragan reformed his cloak to hide his damaged arm. "And why is that?' he couldn't help asking.

"Because I'm the only hollow in Hueco Mundo that can kill you." he said assuredly. "Go get him boys." Each wolf did something different to show it's compliance. Some yipped, some howled, some snarled at Barragan, but the end result was still all of them charging at the ex-monarch.

"Such arrogance!" Barragan snapped back. "Do not get conceited because one of your abilities was greater then my passive defense. _**Respira!**_ "

The dark wave swept over the pack of bloodthirsty dogs...and did absolutely nothing as they passed right through it.

"What! That's impossible!" Barragan yelled in disbelief. He produced a large axe from within his robes and bisected the first wolf that reached him but the blade did nothing but momentarily disrupt the canine's form. More than a dozen wolves bit down on him at various places all over his frame and all those who couldn't find room in the swarm of bodies stood close by waiting for a piece themselves. Barragan hacked and slashed at them blindly with his axe but nothing he did had any effect. "What are these!" he screamed.

"They're me." Stark intoned calmly. "Each one a small fragment of mine and Lilynette's soul. With each one I set loose I become a bit...lesser...but if it wins me the fight then it doesn't matter. Your power is incredible Barragan Luisenbarn. Time may be a force that effects us all but the soul itself can never die of old age. When my body eventually withers away my soul will simply pass on and reenter the cycle of death and rebirth. Then that new person will eventually die and the soul will be reborn a third time. Then a fourth and then a fifth. Because you see Barragan..."

Barragan started to panic as the pack of wolves all glowed blindingly bright just as the first one had before and the oldest hollow in Hueco Mundo redoubled the effects of his power on the beasts and then redoubled it again after that. Desperate for it to have any sort of impact whatsoever.

"...souls are eternal." Stark finished.

The second Espada screamed as he died.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

 **Hueco Mundo, Las Noches**

Chad went flying through the double doors into the next room and crashed upside down into one of the many support pillars that lined it. Gravity took over and he slumped down onto the floor amid a small pile of stone chips and rubble from the structure cracking on impact.

This was unexpected.

He knew that captains were not ones to be trifled with. The leader of the 8th division had neutralized Chad in a single move back in Soul Society after all. Regardless of that though Chad really hadn't expected Tōsen to have the physical prowess to casually lift him up, toss him out of a room, and then halfway across the next one.

From his upside down view on the floor Chad saw the captain in question enter the room at a slow pace with his sword drawn menacingly at his side. Chad picked himself up and shifted his stance to a defensive position. His right arm transforming to it's shield form to guard against any sudden attacks.

"Before we begin." Tōsen started. "I would hear your reasons for this treachery."

Chad shifted his shield a little closer to him, wary that it may be a ploy for him to lower his guard. "Why does it matter to you?" he questioned.

Tōsen's expression subtly darkened. "I had a friend many years ago. A dear friend whose life I gladly would have given my own for. One day my friend was murdered and when I cried out for justice I was denied because the murderer was of noble birth and I a worthless commoner. Ever since I have worked with Lord Aizen unquestioningly in preparation to remake Soul Society into the utopia that humans dream for in the afterlife. A place where justice and righteousness will weigh supreme and not even the highest nobles will escape it's much deserved wrath. I know Lord Aizen has expressed his intentions to Ichigo. Information I have no doubt that he has in turn shared with you. In light of that I do not understand your betrayal. Lord Aizen is offering everything you and Ichigo could want. Explain it to me."

"You're right." Chad admitted. "Ichigo and I might be in the wrong. We aren't a hundred percent certain on who's telling the truth between Aizen and Urahara. I doubt we'll ever be. But Ichigo has made his choice."

"And what of your choice?" Tōsen questioned.

A white carapace burst into existence around Chad's left arm and his reiatsu rose a few notches. A long spike came upwards out of the shoulder and a dark red pattern ran the length of the whole appendage. "I made my choice a long time ago." he answered. "Whatever Ichigo chooses...I'm with him to the end." he stated with conviction. "Just like you would have been for your friend right?" he added on as an afterthought.

"So I would have." Tōsen muttered before raising his free hand up at lightning speed.. " _ **Hadō #32: Ōkasen!**_ "

A golden flash of fiery energy rocketed towards Chad forcing him to jump into the air to dodge. Once there he twisted his shield arm around to block a sword strike at his back from his opponent who's shunpo was a bit too fast for comfort. As the two fell back down to the ground this exchange continued with Tōsen slashing away at his opponent and Chad continuing to block each strike of the onslaught, each clash producing a small flash of sparks from sword meeting armor.

Chad's feet planted back on the ground causing a small crater in the tile floor while Tōsen pressed down on his shield from above. Chad, seeing an opening, attempted to land a direct hit with his left arm but the blind man disengaged before it connected and leapt higher into the air. With his zanpakutō held forward he sketched a semi-circle in the area in front of him and a series of afterimages followed the trail of his blade.

" _ **Suzumushi Nishiki: Benihikō!**_ " he spoke softly, Chad just barely picking up the words.

The trail of images materialized into hundreds of blades and with one mighty swing they all begun to rain down on his foe.

Chad's one visible eye widened exponentially and he wasted no time in returning fire. " _ **El Directo!**_ "

The colossal blue blast punched a hole in the middle of the hailstorm of swords and disintegrated the dozens that would have fallen on him. Chad darted his eyes around for the next attack as the remaining projectiles embedded into the ground around him putting him the middle of a figurative 'steel donut'.

Chad picked up a flash of movement to his left and narrowly managed to bat away his opponent's zanpakutō from stabbing him in the kidney and crippling him for the rest of the fight. Tōsen was undeterred from the blocked strike and used his momentum to flip himself upwards and deliver a solid kick to the side of Chad's face.

Chad slid back on the balls of his feet from the blow and barely managed to right himself before crashing into the perimeter of blades that still surrounded him.

' _This isn't good. There's no room to maneuver with those everywhere.'_ The large man thought as he made the decision that a change of scenery was in order.

Gathering spirit energy into each of his fingertips and then clenching his left fist tightly the giant slammed his fist to the floor and bellowed " _ **La Muerte!**_ ".

The tile floor immediately shattered and splintered from the assault and begun to crumble underneath both of the fighters feet. Tōsen jumped into the air and kept himself afloat with spirit particles while Chad willingly rode the plummet and let himself fall to the next floor down.

Landing in a crouched position with one knee to the ground he quickly did a scan of the new room and immediately found it lacking.

This room was even smaller.

Not waiting for the same problem to arise as before he decided to try again before Tōsen returned. Rearing his white and red fist back he smashed the west-facing wall into rubble and had to do a double-take as to what lay beyond it.

The brightly lit desert under a false sky seemed to stretch on forever. Tremendous red pillars dotted it's landscape in a seemingly random pattern that didn't seem to serve any discernible purpose.

Not taking the time to really question it or realize just how expansive Las Noches really was Chad jumped off the ledge he was on down into the waiting sand below. He shifted back into a defensive position and stared at the opening he had made in the building he had just come from.

Tōsen stepped into view still as collected as ever and gazed impassively down at the rebelling human. In the back of his mind Chad wondered what the blind man's enhanced senses allowed him to actually 'see' without the use of his eyes.

"I am curious..." The ex-captain began "...as to why you changed the battleground. I was under the impression you were a close-combat fighter."

"I am." Chad responded simply.

"Then why come here?" Tōsen asked as he gestured with one hand to the seemingly unending expanse of desert. "With this much space you'll never get close unless I allow it."

"I don't need to win. I don't even need to make it a draw. I only need to avoid losing. The moment our plan failed all I've seen my job as is keeping you occupied until Ichigo can defeat Aizen."

Tōsen frowned slightly. "Keep me occupied?" he questioned. "Do you really believe you'll last that long against me?"

Chad let a little grin appear on his face. "I'll admit that you're a bit faster than me. You're physical strength caught me off guard as well. But if I focus on defense and only attack to prevent you from leaving then I don't foresee having any problems. I even know how to escape your bankai from the meetings we've had with Barragan."

"I see... You don't actually view yourself as outmatched here." Tōsen said neutrally. "Then allow me to demonstrate for you...just how gravely wrong that assumption is." he intoned ominously as he raised an open palm to his face.

Ten black tendrils with thin purple outlines gathered around the shinigami's face like rays of a dark sun and seemed to flow into his hovering palm. The wind picked up as Tōsen's power began to rise and a sweat began to form on Chad's neck.

' _This feeling...it's almost_ _like Ichigo's..._ '

In a manner of seconds the black cascading energy cocooned around Tōsen and then exploded upwards like an erupting geyser. The force of the artificial wind multiplied tenfold as a blue cyclone sprung into being that tore apart the ledge the blind man was standing on. Chad's clothes flapped wildy from the pressure and the large man was forced to shield his face from flying debris.

The torrent of wind and power cut off abruptly, rapidly dissipating back into the environment and leaving the new and improved Kaname Tōsen looming high above Chad.

A hollow mask of pure white adorned his face with the only imperfection being a narrow slit that bisected it down the middle. The classic hollow plating seamlessly extended down his neck and over his shoulders to blend in with the white robe like outfit Tōsen was wearing before his transformation.

Chad involuntarily took a step backwards at the sight and that alone is what kept the attack from being a fatal one. Blood gushed from the diagonal gash across his chest and his eyes looked down in shock at Tōsen who had bridged the distance between them in an instant.

"Oh? So this is Sonido. I think I like it." a distorted version of Tōsen's voice spoke from behind the mask.

" _ **L-La Muerte!**_ " Chad yelled, stuttering a bit from the sudden influx of fear permeating his being, and thrust his left arm downward to smash his foe into the ground.

A casually raised palm caught the incoming fist causing a shockwave to spread out in all directions from the impact.

' _But-but that's-_ ' Chad stammered in his mind.

With his grip tightly over the white hand Tōsen flipped Chad over in the same manner that the fight had began with and launched him across the desert sands; only this time before Chad could land Tōsen sped ahead of him and rammed him in the back with a straight kick.

' _It's happening again..._ ' Chad lamented in his mind as the ex-captain batted him around like a ragdoll before finally letting him slam into the base of one of the gigantic red pillars causing the structures collapse.

' _I've gotten so much stronger than before...I could crush my old self without even trying if we fought..._ ' he continued as he raised his shield in vain to attempt to block the coming strike.

' _But still it's not enough..._ ' he watched apathetically as Tōsen's zanpakutō cut through his armored skin and blood began hemorrhaging from his forearm.

' _It's happening again…'_ his thoughts repeated as he took a deep slash to the shoulder and began leaning forward to face plant into the unforgiving desert.

Tōsen watched the human fall as though in slow motion and stared expressionlessly as the blood began to pool outward and seep into the sand. A quick swipe downward shook off the blood that had stuck to his blade and the blind man sheathed his weapon unceremoniously.

Spinning on his heel Tōsen took three steps away from his dying foe before turning his head slightly and speaking. "For the sake of your justice I will see Kurotsuchi Mayuri dead for his crimes. This much I will pledge to you." he promised in that same distorted voice before continuing on his way.

' _It happened again...I was too weak to help..._ ' Chad cursed as he felt his consciousness start to slip away.

' _Too weak to defeat a captain..._ '

'... _._ '

' _Too weak to help Ichigo...'_

'... _._ '

' _Too weak..._ '

'...'

'... _._ '

'... _._ '

' _ **No. Not again.**_ '

Tōsen stumbled at the explosion of spiritual power erupting behind him and had to hold his hair back from whipping in the wind from the force of it.

Yasutora Sado was climbing back to his feet as his wounds stitched themselves closed. Each of his patterned arms began expanding inward and spreading their unique plating over his torso. The magenta and black reached all the way to the center of his frame and was now shielding the entire upper right-side of his body; the white and red morphing it's shoulder attachment into a large protective hand that curled protectively over the mans left side. His face now growing a devilish mask that seemed to be evenly split between his two powers. One half the colors of his right arm, the other half the colors of his left. Both sides with large demonic horns that gave off the feeling of being from hell itself.

If Tōsen could actually see the changes he may have been more cautious. "So you were still hiding some pow-" he was cut off abruptly when a white fist impacted the center of his face sending him rocketing backwards and tumbling across the sand like a stone skipped over a lake.

" _ **Never again**_."

* * *

 **A/N: Chad's new form is from a very famous piece of fan art that I'm sure many of you have encountered** **before. For those who haven't simply putting the words "bleach chad armor" into Google images should bring it up immediately.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17  
**

 **Hueco Mundo, Las Noches.**

' _Is this what frustration feels like?_ ' Ulquiorra wondered idly as he crashed through the wall of one room and slid through the air of the next one. _'_ _or perhaps this emotion is what they call annoyance.'_

Aizen's law was clear. Espada of rank 4 or higher are forbidden from entering their Resurreción while within the confines of Las Noches. That was his Lord's law and his Lord was absolute.

...Unfortunately not a single one of his numerous opponents were under the same restriction.

 **"** _ **Tijeras Neptunea!/Misil Diente!"**_ Two of Barragan's Fracción roared as they continued to press the attack.

It was a simple matter to sidestep the jet of high pressure water from Findorr's oversized claw. Two quickly fired Bala's from his fingertips were enough to throw Ggio Vega's projectiles off their trajectory. Now would be an excellent time to counter attack...

 _ **"** **Lanzador Verde!"**_

...if only she wasn't here.

Neliel's double-sided lance looked as though it were shredding the wind as it tore through the air at him. It was with only a fraction of a fraction of a second that he was able to raise his blade in time to block it. The lance drilled away at Ulquiorra's zanpakutō as the elite Espada willingly let the attack push him further away, worried that if he pushed back too heavily against the assault his blade might splinter or even snap in two.

 _ **"** **Sparkle, Reina De Rosas!"**_

In the corner of his vision Ulquiorra noticed yet another of his opponents had entered their Resurreción. He was sure of it now. This feeling was _annoyance_. He'd be much more equipped to actually deal with the situation if his help hadn't abandoned him.

* * *

 **A Few Minutes Ago….**

"You can handle this rabble by yourself can't you Ulqui-chan?" Ichimaru asked with a big toothy grin.

"Lord Aizen commanded we deal with them together." Ulquiorra responded impassively and with no reaction to the new nickname.

"Hmmmm that he did. But I'd much rather spend my time watching Captain Aizen's match. It's been so long since he let himself have some fun. I'll leave you to it. Bye-bye!" The fox-like man said with a childish wave.

* * *

 **Present Time**

 _ **"Beautiful Charlotte Chulhourne's Miracle Sweet Final Holy Wonderful Ultra Funky Fantastic Dramatic Romantic Erotic MEGATON PUNCH!"**_ One of the Fracción screamed as he bull rushed at the occupied Espada.

Ulquiorra put just enough pressure on his sword at the right angle in order to send Neliel's lance careening to the left and downwards to the ground. He ducked under the muscular fist that was about to smash him in the side of the head and simultaneously stamped his foot deep into to gut of his attacker.

Charlotte Chulhorne spat up blood and spittle from the blow and was sent rocketing away.

There was no time to capitalize further on the minor victory as he was forced to dodge a volley of stone-like feathers from Abirama Redder while glancing an image of Neliel retrieving her weapon down below.

' _Definitely annoyance.'_

* * *

 **With Ichigo and Aizen**

His breathing was steady. His mind calm. The attack would be coming soon. The instincts of the Vasto Lorde kicked in and he swung his blade behind him to parry the attack. He didn't see his foe. He didn't hear him nor could he smell him. All the same he knew he felt something. The slightest bit of resistance that pushed back when their blades clashed and he repelled the attack. Perhaps that could have been a trick of Kyōka Suigetsu as well. But what certainly wasn't a trick was the impressions he felt in his mind.

Ichigo didn't know why he had that curious little ability. The power to know what his opponent was thinking and feeling in the brief instant their blades met. Maybe it was simply a minor quirk of Zangetsu. Just as the Moon reflects the light of the Sun so too does Zangetsu reflect those it comes into contact with. It doesn't matter. A question for later. What matters is what he actually felt from Aizen's blade.

When he fought Renji he felt the anger and the determination. With Kenpachi's there was a bloodlust that despite its ferocity was nearly drowned out from the pained screams of the mans unused and unloved zanpakutō.

With Aizen there was nothing but amusement.

That's all.

 _Amusement._

The leader of Las Noches wasn't taking the fight seriously at all. He probably didn't even view it as a fight in the first place. Ichigo was nothing more than an outlet for Aizen to have a bit of fun with. A game to play to see exactly how long Ichigo could fend off an enemy that was nigh undetectable. If Ichigo didn't find a way to get off the defensive soon then he'd surely be slaughtered the moment Aizen got bored.

And then there was the other problem.

Ichigo spared a glance to the corner of the room where Ichimaru stood silently watching the entire affair. His signature grin never leaving his face. The ex-captain even gave a friendly little wave when he realized Ichigo was looking his way.

Would he interfere the moment Ichigo found a way to counter-attack? Why was he here in the first place? Didn't Aizen tell him to attack Neliel and the Fracción with Ulquiorra? He supposed that at least this way Neliel was safer. It was the only positive he could find in the situation.

Pain flooded Ichigo's mind as blood spurted out of a wide cut that started on his upper chest and rolled over to his left shoulder. A reprimand from Aizen for not paying enough attention to their game. Ichigo's breathing picked up a little as his hollow powers went to work on closing the wound before blood loss became a legitimate issue.

He tried to refocus his mind and predict the next attack but failed miserably when next came a deep gash on his right side.

After that he successfully blocked a move aimed at one of his arms but if he was honest with himself it was a fluke. It was more of an instinctual panic than himself focusing on those instincts. This time the feelings Ichigo heard through Aizen's blade had a smidgen of disappointment mixed in. Disappointment that the game was coming to an end. Disappointment that _Ichigo Kurosaki_ was coming to an end.

Next came a shallow cut just above his knee followed by a small nick to his right bicep and Ichigo knew that Aizen was purposefully weakening his attacks just to draw out the game a little longer.

That single realization spelled the death of Ichigo's resolve.

' _I can't do anything...'_ he admitted morosely in his mind. _'_ _Did I ever even have a chance to beat Aizen?'_ he questioned to himself as he miraculously blocked a strike on sheer dumb luck.

' _I'm going to die here...then Aizen will kill Chad and Neliel and her Fracción...and then Barragan and his men...then it'll be Soul Society...Karin, Yuzu, and Dad...The Soul King... and then everyone I've ever met...'_ As Ichigo continued to think his mind changed from depressed acceptance to full blown panic. If he lost here then they would all die! Everyone! If he doesn't stop Aizen here then everyone will be lost!

He needs to win but what is he supposed to do?

Another wound. Now both his shoulders are bloody and his regeneration is slowing.

He needs to win but what is he supposed to do?

Instincts kick in and he dodges the attack instead of blocking. He's on worse footing then he was before.

WHAT IS HE SUPPOSED TO DO?

"CALM! DOWN! ICHIGO!" Old Man Zangetsu roars in his face as he suddenly manifests in front of the boy. The boy who is so startled by this he doesn't even notice the world has gone gray and time has come to a standstill. _"_ You are smarter than this! You are better than THIS! All the tools you need for victory are at your disposal! You only need to use them!"

Ichigo snapped out of his downward spiral and glared back at the spirit. He'd get in his face if he could but actually physically moving when the world went gray like this was impossible. "Now isn't the time for cryptic bullshit old man! If you know something to help me win then just spit it out! Don't waste both our fucking time!"

"All shinigami zanpakutō, no matter how complex or fearsome their powers, can be divided into two types. Combat type and Kidō types. It should be obvious which one Aizen's is." the spirit replied as though this explained everything.

"Not exactly helpful old man!" he yelled back in frustration. "My shinigami education is sorely lacking in that department remember! I don't know how to counter kidō! And if there was a way to undo Kyōka Suigetsu then Urahara would have figured it out ages ago!"

"Urahara is merely a shinigami Ichigo." Zangetsu remarked sagely.

"Your point?" Ichigo spat back.

Zangetsu sighed and shook his head his head in disappointment. _"_ You still do not understand...I thought we were past the days where I had to intervene and explain the obvious to you."

"Then make me understand!" Ichigo demanded in desperation.

Zangetsu faded away from sight like dust in an invisible wind but Ichigo could still hear him speaking in his mind.

' _You are a Shinigami Ichigo. Aizen's ability is perfectly designed to defeat shinigami. Kyōka Suigetsu's kidō is not one that a shinigami should be able to disrupt. But you are so much more than a shinigami Ichigo._

' _You are a Quincy Ichigo. You have a natural connection to the spirit particles that surround us all and have an affinity with them that no shinigami could ever match. Listen for them Ichigo. Feel them in the world around you. Watch how Aizen manipulates them. How he uses them to craft his illusions and falsehoods._

 _You are a Hollow Ichigo. The antithesis of a shinigami. You have the power to counter his ability. Hollows are creatures of instinct and you are the greatest of Hollows. The Vasto Lorde. Your instincts are the greatest in the natural world. Trust those feelings. Let them guide your hand. You have all the pieces Ichigo. Now just reach out...AND RIP IT APART!'_

Aizen smiled lightly from his position overhead. It had been too long since he allowed himself some simple fun like this. He felt like a child burning an insect to death with a magnifying glass. But alas the time for simple pleasures was over. Now it was time to end this 'fight' and restore order to Las Noches. There were Espada that needed replacing and more Arrancar to recruit to fill the holes in the ranks caused by today's treason. And only 20 days to do it before the Hōgyoku fully awoke and his invasion against Soul Society could begin.

Aizen shunpo'd in front of Ichigo with his blade held high over his head. "It's been fun Ichigo Kurosaki. You were truly fascinating from start to finish. While not the most successful of my experiments you will certainly be the one I remember most. Farewell." he said with fond nostalgia in his voice even though he knew Ichigo couldn't hear a word of it.

With a smug smile he brought Kyōka Suigetsu straight down to carve through the boy right down the middle.

For the first time in hundreds of years his face became one of complete shock when he felt his illusion shatter and the boy caught his arm by it's wrist. Ichigo raised his head and looked directly into Aizen's eyes.

"I can see you."

Ichigo slammed his blade against Aizen's chest and let out the largest Getsuga he had ever non-verbally cast. The room exploded outward in all directions. The stone walls, the ceiling, the floor, everything was vaporized as the black inferno spread in every direction or outlet it could find. If there was any Arrancar in the palace who wasn't aware of the fighting going on then they definitely knew it now as entire sections of the building shook from the shockwave.

When the smoke had cleared and the black reiatsu dissipated Ichigo stood standing in the middle of the air gazing upon a wounded Aizen up above who had managed to wretch himself free just in time. His upper clothes had burned away and he was bleeding profusely from a deep wound on his chest. In what was once the corner of the room Ichimaru stood sentry same as always. Only his time from behind a kidō barrier that was so cracked it looked like a tossed pebble could finish shattering it. His breathing was heavy and sweat evident on his face from the hasty casting.

Ichigo raised his sword to finally go on the offensive when he noticed the wound on Aizen's torso start to stitch itself closed. His eyes widened imperceptibly as he realized the Hōgyoku was cemented in the center of Aizen's chest and that the man in question didn't seem bothered at all about being struck.

Then Aizen began to laugh.

"Marvelous! Simply superb Ichigo Kurosaki! In all the years, decades, centuries that I've had enemies not a one has managed to break Kyōka Suigetsu's hold on them. You are genuinely exceptional! I found you interesting before but now you are fascinating! Oh how I would treasure the chance to study you further...in fact...I think I shall. Killing you now would be the height of criminality. The wasting of a uniquely precious resource."

"Do you really think I'll submit so easily?" Ichigo challenged.

"Oh. I know it. You've escaped Kyōka Suigetsu's illusions Ichigo...but it's impossible to escape this."

Aizen held his sword in front of him and flipped it over, pointing it straight towards the ground at a ninety degree angle.

 _ **"** **Bankai"**_


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

 **Karakura Town, Kurosaki Household**

The sounds of a baby crying permeated through the walls and hallways of the home.

Ichigo opened his eyes in a tiny squint and ran a hand over his face in tired exasperation. He glanced a peak to his nightstand where a digital clock showed 3:43 in dull red neon light.

The head resting on his chest stirred a bit and his bed mate rolled over to her side to emphasize she had been woken by it too. "...it's your turn." she mumbled softly but irritably.

Ichigo yawned as he swung his legs out from under the covers. "Yeah yeah...I'm going I'm going."

He walked softly and quietly out of the bedroom and into the nursery the next room over. The old door creaked a little as he opened it and the sound temporarily caused the crying to cut off. Even in the near total darkness Ichigo could see his daughter standing in her crib holding onto the railings. She sniffled as she stared at his silhouette in the doorway and shortly began wailing and crying again.

"Hey sweetie." Ichigo said softly as he bent down a little to pick her up. "Oh it's okay. It's okay." he muttered soothingly as he held her close and rubbed her back. "What is it? Did you make a stinky?" he asked in a silly voice before lifting her higher and smelling her diaper. "No that's not it. What is it then?"

His only response from her was more crying, although now much more subdued then when he had first entered.

"Not gonna tell me huh? Okay. That's fine. You'll tell daddy when you're ready." Ichigo said to himself as he bounced her a little against his shoulder.

As she continued to calm even further Ichigo tip-toed to a rocking chair at the side of the room and slowly lowered himself into it. His daughter gurgled against his shoulder from the movement as Ichigo leaned back to relax. "Shhh shhh it's okay. Daddy's just tired. Just needs...to rest his eyes...for a minute..."

It was several hours later that Ichigo was roused awake by a sunbeam shining onto his face through the window. He audibly groaned and rubbed his eyes to cast away the last vestiges of sleep. Rising out of the chair he stretched his arms up while giving yet another large yawn. He scratched an itch on his back as he made his way to the kitchen where he heard the sounds of cooking and the smell of sizzling bacon.

He entered the dining area and smiled lovingly at the sight that greeted him. His daughter babbling in her high-chair making a mess with a bowl of dry cereal while his green-haired wife stood over the stove scrambling some eggs in a pan.

Ichigo snuck up behind his wife, wrapped his arms around her stomach and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Hey you." Neliel said with a smile but without actually looking at her husband.

"Hey yourself." he replied before lowering his mouth onto her neck to give it one long languid kiss.

"Ichigo." Neliel laughed musically while craning her neck to give him better access. "Not while I'm cooking."

"Then feel free to stop me." he challenged lightheartedly as his hands began to roam slowly over her body. Her breath hitched slightly when he gave her right breast a good squeeze while his left had reached as low as it could and started caressing the uppermost part of her thigh. He could see it written on her face that Neliel was torn between either reprimanding him or grinding softly against his morning wood that was pressing up against her bum. He decided to relent and moved both his hands to the small baby bump over her stomach while leaning his head into hers.

Neliel seemed flushed and was somehow both angry and satisfied that he had stopped his ministrations. "...I still can't believe you got me pregnant again." she said with a little scowl but no real anger in her voice.

"I can." he whispered with a shit-eating grin and a small chuckle. "With an ass like yours you should be surprised I haven't-"

"DADDY!"

Ichigo separated from his wife just in time to catch the orange-haired missile that was charging at his legs. "Hey there kiddo!" Ichigo said happily as he lifted his 4 year old son into the air. "What's got you so excited today?"

"I um- had this dream that you um-had a sword- and uh it could turn into a smaller better sword and there were some scary monsters but your sword beat them cause it could shoot lazers and sometimes they were blue and sometimes they were black and it was so cool!" the child yelled excitedly.

"Oh really?" Ichigo asked with a big grin.

"Yeah really! Can I have a magic sword too?" his son asked with stars in his eyes.

"Hmmmm" Ichigo hummed while pretending to be deep in thought "I'll tell you what. If we see a magic sword at the store today when we're shopping with grandma then we'll buy it. But only if it's a magic sword. Okay?"

"Okay!" the boy agreed before rushing off to his chair at the breakfast table.

As Ichigo loaded some bread into the toaster he caught sight of Neliel giving him a look that said 'You come home with a sword today -magic or not- and you're sleeping on the couch for a week.'

Ichigo waived off her concern off with a head tilt and an faux offended look that was easily interpreted as 'Yeah right. Like I'm going to buy our son a weapon.'

It was a half hour later that Ichigo found himself standing over the sink and washing all the dishes from breakfast as well as the ones from last nights supper. He glanced out the window in front of him and watched a white colored bird fly across the sky just over the rooftops.

Far far in the distance he could see what looked like a humanoid figure dressed all in black standing atop a telephone pole. His midnight cloak billowing in the wind.

A slight ringing filled his ears and he was forced to shut his eyes from the sudden onset of a small headache.

When the irritants subsided Ichigo looked out the window again and the mysterious black figure had vanished as if never there.

"Hello! Kurosaki family!" A light female voice came from the entrance hall along with the sound of the front door opening.

Ichigo peaked around the corner of the kitchen just in time to see his son rocketing towards Masaki with a big shout of "GRANDMA!"

"Hello my precious!" Masaki laughed cheerfully as she bent down to catch his hug. "Oh goodness you're getting big." she remarked as she lifted him up.

"Ya-huh. I grew a whole 2 centimeters since last time." he leaned in to whisper in her ear but Ichigo could still catch the contents. "Mommy says I'll be as big as daddy when I'm older but I want to be as big as mommy because she's even taller but don't tell daddy that."

Masaki chuckled and whispered back conspiratorially "I won't I promise." She then set her grandson down and gestured upstairs with her hand. "Go get your shoes on okay? If you do it fast we can stop for sweets before we go shopping."

While the little boy burst up the stairs Masaki finally managed to spot her son looking over from the kitchen. "Hello Ichigo."

"Hey Mom. You want any breakfast? We've got a few leftovers." he offered while drying his hands with a hand towel.

"Oh no thank you son. Your father cooked plenty before I left. Although between you and me the only reason he got off his lazy butt before noon is because Yuzu is visiting for a week from university."

"Hey you're the one who married him." Ichigo said with a laugh.

"And I'll never regret it." she replied. Her eyes clearly reminiscing some past sweet memory.

"Grandma, Daddy, I'm ready!" the little boy practically yelled as he thundered down the stairs. Now with shoes on and a small winter hat.

"You ready to go Ichigo?" Masaki asked as she grabbed her grandsons hand.

"30 seconds. I'll meet you guys outside."

Ichigo grabbed his coat off the rack and slipped it on as he went back into the living room. "We're taking off. Be back in a few hours." he told told his wife before leaning down for a quick peck on the lips.

"Take care." Neliel replied before going back to spooning baby food into their daughters mouth.

Ichigo exited his house and locked the door behind him. He walked out onto the road and took a spot next to his mother. "So where to first?" he asked.

Masaki opened her mouth to speak but Ichigo was distracted by an apparition standing around 40 meters behind her in the middle of the road. It appeared to be the same figure he spotted earlier only this time he could just make out that it was a middle-aged man. He was wearing a pair of brown sunglasses and Ichigo could tell that the only part of the man's clothing that wasn't black was his collar.

The ringing came back to Ichigo's ears more intense than it was before and he grabbed at his head with one hand from the sudden headache.

Suddenly both the pain and man in black vanished and Ichigo became aware his mother was calling his name.

"Ichigo? Are you alright Ichigo? Did you hear what I said?" Masaki asked with concern.

"Yeah...yeah...I'm fine. It was nothing. Sorry, where did you say we're going first?" he asked as he shook his head a little to clear it.

"To the pastry shop silly. Your old friend Orihime is the manager there now you know. Oh I remember how she used to have such a crush on you back in school. I lost quite a hefty sum to your father over a bet thinking you two would get together. You think you'll be able to score us some free samples?" Masaki giggled.

"Mom..." Ichigo groaned exasperatedly. "You know I'm not comfortable with that sort of thing. Besides I barely know her anymore. We really grew apart after I finished high school."

"I know I know. You've told me before." Masaki replied as she patted his arm.

The walk through the small town in wintertime was calm and peaceful. They had just gotten the first snowfall of the season the night before and Ichigo's son acted as though it were the greatest thing he'd ever seen. Every time they passed by a particular thick pile he wasted no time in jumping down into it and smiling at the way the snow crunched beneath his shoes.

It seemed like no real time had passed at all before they reached the front door of the pastry shop. A silver bell above the entrance way jingled as they entered and a woman the same age as Ichigo with bright orange hair appeared out of the back to see who it was.

"Ichigo! Mrs. Kurosaki! It's been too long!" Orihime said brightly. "And who is this little man?" she asked cheerfully to the 4 year old accompanying them.

"You two buy whatever you want I need to use the restroom." Ichigo whispered to his mother before moving over to the side of the store.

Ichigo opened the door to the men's room and his eyes widened fearfully as he suddenly found himself face to face with the black specter from before. The man reached out and yanked Ichigo into the restroom by his collar and slammed him painfully into the wall.

"We need to leave! NOW!" The man in black yelled in his face looking as stern as possible.

"Look pal I don't know who the hell you think you are but-" Ichigo bit back hotly but was silenced when the man in black backhanded him hard across the face.

"I DO NOT HAVE THE TIME TO DISCIPLINE YOU!" he screamed. "I used up too much of my strength just getting to you in the first place! WAKE UP ICHIGO! NONE OF IT'S REAL!"

* * *

 **Hueco Mundo, Las Noches**

Ichimaru Gin gazed curiously into the eyes of Ichigo Kurosaki and watched as little images of a family sitting down for breakfast danced across his pupils.

"My my. That's a real creepy power you got there Captain Aizen. And people used to say that I was the one who unnerved them."

Aizen didn't respond to the comment in any way beyond his usual smile. He slipped Kyōka Suigetsu back into it's solid black sheath and stepped down towards the two as though walking on invisible stairs.

"Shall we go and see how the others are faring Gin? I admit I am curious as to what is taking Kaname so long."

"And what about him?" Ichimaru asked with a head tilt towards Ichigo.

"He'll be joining us of course. Come along now Ichigo. We're going to go see what became of your friends." Aizen commanded with a small beckoning hand gesture.

It started as a slight swaying. Then a slow shuffling. But soon Ichigo was walking obediently behind Aizen with an empty look indefinitely etched on his face.

Happy images still dancing across his eyes.

* * *

 **Karakura Town, Pastry Shop Restroom  
**

"...NONE OF IT'S REAL!"

The ringing in Ichigo's ears came back with a vengeance and was louder then the previous two episodes combined. Both of his hands shot upwards to clutch at his throbbing head as he fell to his knees from the pain. "...the fuck are you talking about old man?" he managed to ground out.

"I've been doing my best to dismantle this world with our quincy abilities but it's anchoring itself in faster then I can uproot it. Still, I've at least stopped it from filling in some of the smaller details...for the moment. We need to leave before it catches up with itself and you're stuck here forever. I'd say we have around 10 minutes..." The man in black turned away from Ichigo abruptly and squinted as though sensing something ominous in the distance. "...7 minutes."

Ichigo tried to ignore the ringing on willpower alone but every time he looked at this stranger it only exacerbated the problem. "Who...what are you?" Ichigo asked in a broken voice.

"You don't know me?" The man asked shocked before quickly recovering. "Never mind. It doesn't matter as long as you can still spot the holes I've made in this world. Your son Ichigo. Think about your son!"

Ichigo jumped off the floor and glared daggers at the man in black. "If you go anywhere near him I swear to every god that's listening I will break-"

"WHAT'S. HIS. NAME?" The stranger thundered back in Ichigo's face.

"What?" Ichigo asked confused.

The man's gaze darted to the ceiling suddenly and he paled slightly at something Ichigo couldn't see. "5 minutes..." He muttered to himself before looking back to Ichigo again, his eyes filled with a fierce determination. "We're running out of time Ichigo! What's his name Ichigo? You need to realize this world is false BEFORE all the gaps get filled in! WHAT'S HIS NAME?"

Ichigo started to shake and his eyes were wide with panic. "My son..his name...it...it starts with a K...how can I not..."

"WAKE UP ICHIGO!"

* * *

 **Hueco Mundo, Las Noches**

Chad caught Tōsen's blade with ease and smashed his white fist into the hollowfied captains jaw. The lower segment of Tōsen's mask shattered and he was sent careening into the desert sands yet again.

He rolled painfully over the dunes before eventually coming to a stop and pushing himself up to his arms and knees. He spat a glob of blood onto the ground through the break in his mask and then repaired it with a wave of his hand.

"It would seem...that you have me outmatched." Tōsen admitted as he got to use feet and took a stance Chad was unfamiliar with.

" _ **What was your first clue?**_ " Chad asked as he approached ominously, his voice heavy and distorted from behind his own devilish mask.

"Careful Yasutora Sado. Arrogance is an ugly trait. As strong as you may be now it will not be enough to stop you from falling before my Resurrección."

Tōsen shifted his blade downwards and the wind picked up behind him.

 **"** **Suzumishi Tsushiki: Gril-** "

"I do not believe that will be necessary Kaname." A new voice announced.

The two combatants turned their heads to the unmistakable sound of Aizen speaking. The Lord of Las Noches approached with a gleam in his eye and two people flanking behind him.

" _ **Ichigo...**_ " Chad breathed out, stunned by the nearly comatose demeanor his best friend was showing while trailing behind their enemy. " _ **What have you done to him?**_ " he demanded furiously.

Aizen looked up and down Chad's new form with a critical eye, like inspecting a piece of merchandise before purchasing it. "Nothing too harmful. Yet. Of course that could change depending on a number of different factors. You for example."

" _ **Me?**_ " Chad questioned.

"Indeed Yasutora Sado." Aizen replied as he signaled Tōsen to sheath his blade and stand down. "On my way here I was planning on simply disposing of you if Kaname had not already. But now, seeing this new form that puts you above half the captains in Soul Society I have decided to reconsider. The Arrancar that rebelled will all have to go I'm afraid but I'm willing to offer you a second chance. Join my forces in the fights to come and Ichigo will not be harmed any further. Refuse and the consequences for your friend could be quite...severe."

Chad glanced between Ichigo and Aizen a few times before narrowing his eyes in suspicion. " _ **If you were going to harm him then you would have already done it. You're saving him on purpose.**_ " he accused.

"Hmmm. A plausible theory. Your logic is sound. But are you willing to bet his life on it?"

Aizen signaled Ichigo to step forth a little to Aizen's left and turn to face him. Aizen lifted his arm straight out and pointed his index finger directly over Ichigo's heart. "A lightning bolt through the heart has always been a favorite technique of Captain Kuchiki back in Soul Society. I wonder if Ichigo's regeneration will let him come back from that?"

Chad wanted to call the bluff but the words got caught in his throat. All the reason he had available to him said it wasn't a real threat but he just couldn't find the will to risk it. His new armor began to recede back into his two arms and his reiatsu lowered as he powered down.

"Fine. You win. Just please...don't kill him." Chad begged.

Aizen smiled. "I'm so glad that we could come to a mutual..." Aizen's expression shifted into a confused one and he turned his head slowly to his left hand.

Where not one second ago his index finger was there was instead a tiny bloody stump where the appendage had been severed.

A tiny spray of blood spurted out and landed on Ichigo's cheek right below his eye.

Where no longer did any tiny happy images dance.

"Okay. Now I'm really pissed." Ichigo warned.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

 **Hueco Mundo, Las Noches**

Grimmjow raced through the halls of Las Noches towards the two titanic level reiatu's clashing in the desert room under an eternally lit sky. He glanced backwards briefly and scowled at how his fracción could barely keep up with him. If they got any slower then he was just going to leave them behind.

"Will you idiots hurry up! A this rate we're going to miss all the good parts!" The 6th Espada barked to those trailing behind him.

"I could stand to go a little faster...It's Di Roy who's holding us up." Yylfordt Granz commented with a hint of annoyance.

"Hey screw you man! I spent all day experimenting with my cero. I'm exhausted!" The lowest ranked fracción bit back in anger.

"Oh? 'Experimenting' is that what you call it? Is that why you're covered in scorch marks? You look like a box of firecrackers blew up in your face." Edrad Liones teased while chuckling to himself.

"Hey Edrad, why don't you go outside and play a game of hide and go fuck yourself! Least I'm trying to improve! You just sit around all day combing your half a head of hair." Di Roy snarled back.

"Now now let's all calm down." Shawlong interjected, once again having to play the mediator in the group of fracción. "There's no need to fight. We're here."

The six Arrancar reached the entrance way to the largest room in Las Noches and dashed through to where the two colossal powers were radiating from. Not surprisingly they were not the first to arrive. Four other Espada were already here as well as over a dozen Número's. All of their attention fixated on the fight in the distance. Two black specks repeatedly clashing against each other and causing shockwaves every time they met. Bright flashes of kidō clashing against conjured waves of black and crimson fire. The voices of the combatants being carried on the wind to make them just barely audible.

"You're late Grimmjow. They've already been at it for a while." the 9th Espada Aaroniero Arrurerie commented as the 6th took his place near the front of the crowd of observers.

"Bite me." Grimmjow snapped back on instinct. However, his heart wasn't in the retort. Too distracted by the clashing of the two most powerful beings in Hueco Mundo in front of him.

Mila-Rose leaned in towards her mistress's ear and whispered quietly "Can you hear them mistress Harribel? I can't pick up the words."

"Somewhat. It's a little too far away to be discernible." The female Espada replied.

"Hey look. The fighting's stopped." One of the Número's spoke up.

"What do you think's going on?" an Arrancar standing next to him asked.

"Lord Aizen is speaking." The 7th Espada Zommari Rureaux declared. "He's giving a speech of sorts. I must admit I am conflicted over this battle. I do not desire Lord Aizen nor my friend to meet their end today." His eyes were closed and his face showing serene concentration as he listened in.

"Screw your inner conflict. No one cares about that shit! If you can hear what they're saying then start talking!" Grimmjow demanded.

Zommari opened his eyes briefly to look disdainfully at Grimmjow, another inner conflict arising on whether or not to voice his riposte. He eventually decided it was just easier to fulfill his abrasive comrades request. He closed his eyes again and listened in to Aizen speaking to Ichigo.

"...I will not be stopped." He began to relay. "Not by the Gotei 13, not by any band of rebellious Arrancar, and most certainly not by you Ichigo Kurosaki! I no longer care how you broke through Kyōka Suigetsu. I no longer care how you've become this strong. Just disappear!"

The next shouts from the combatants were so loud that there was no need for Zommari to translate. It was as though some divine force willed all who were watching to hear it with crystal clarity.

" _ **HADŌ #99: GORYŪTENMETSU!"**_

" _ **GETSUGA...GRAN REY CERO!"**_

* * *

 **Ulquiorra vs Neliel and Fracción**

Ulquiorra halted in his plan of slowly leading the others outside of Las Noches so he he could enter his Resurreción and end this farce of a real fight.

At the same time all of his opponents had ceased attacking him as well.

The walls were still shaking. The stone floor was cracking and shards of the ceiling were crumbling to the ground.

All were focused on the explosion of power emanating from Ichigo and Aizen's direction. It was indescribable. Words couldn't do it justice. All were so focused on wondering if that was the final clash. Was one of them dead? Were both of them dead? Who could survive... _that?_

Ulquiorra was the first to regain his wits. He easily could have plunged his hand into Abirama Redder's chest and crushed his heart while everyone was so distracted. He could then probably land a lethal blow on Nirgge Parduoc before the others had realized what had happened.

But he didn't.

He was only fighting because it was an order from the Lord of Las Noches. A Lord who could very well have just died.

With a burst of sonido he changed his course to go investigate what had happened in the only fight that seemed to matter.

"Hey! You're not getting away that easily!" Neliel yelled after him.

* * *

 **With Ichigo and Aizen**

Ichigo lay on the ground breathing heavily as his regeneration reduced the second-degree burns into first degree ones.

He had never used that attack before. There had never been time before now.

He knew the theory behind it was solid but he had hoped to at least test it once before he was forced to use it in combat. Now here he was lying in the dirt because he wasn't prepared for the consequences.

When his greatest getsuga met with the five roaring energy dragons of the most powerful kidō in existence the results could only be described as...cataclysmic.

The inside desert was no longer under a false sky because that sky no longer existed. The roof was just one of many things that were completely obliterated in the apocalyptic energies. What once was a bright room with red pillars had turned into a wasteland just like the rest of Hueco Mundo. The only light being the illuminating crescent moon that hung in the sky.

Ichigo climbed slowly to his feet and tried to spot anyone through the dust cloud. Chad and Tōsen had gotten out of the way early on but was Ichimaru still lurking around? And where was Aizen? If that explosion didn't put Ichigo down for the count then he'd have to assume the same was true for his opponent.

His instincts screamed at him to block left and he spun around just in time to catch Aizen's blade with his own. The unburnt half of Aizen's face was one of fury as he pushed against Ichigo's sword.

More concerning then that though were the white branch-like tendrils emerging from the Hōgyoku in the man's chest. The growths seemed to be alive as they continued to spread and began to cover Aizen's torso like armor plating.

"You're too late Ichigo Kurosaki!" Aizen snarled. "That little display of ours fully awakened the Hōgyoku! Any chance you had of winning is now...ZERO!" He proclaimed with a hard push on his sword that sent Ichigo sliding away, struggling to maintain his balance.

"So what? That little marble turns you into a monster too?" Ichigo tried to jeer as he watched the white branches spread farther out and one of Aizen's eyes turned purple.

"No one ever said evolution wasn't ugly." Aizen said almost reverentially. "All that matters is the result. Not the path that gets there. Isn't that obvious from everything I've done?" The white plating seemed to now be shaping itself into a humanoid style chrysalis that covered the burns on his torso and was crawling over the damaged half of his face.

Their clash started again with renewed vigor. Blades crashing against each other as they danced around the battlefield and in the sky above it. The shockwaves returned with greater ferocity and the various groups watching it were stuck enraptured by it.

The closest group, the one on the north side of the room which comprised only of Chad and Tōsen, were so focused on it they barely even noticed Stark land down next to them and join in viewing as well.

One unlucky piece of positioning found Ichigo on the underside of Aizen holding his sword above his head with both hands to block a downward slash that could've been really bad had it connected.

The downward force became too great and Ichigo was sent rocketing to the ground below. Aizen immediately raised a hand skyward and began to chant under his breath as an ominous aura burst into being around him.

" _ **Seeping crest of turbidity. Arrogant vessel of madness...**_

Ichigo made a plan to kick off the ground the moment he touched it and jump back into the offensive but Aizen was just a little too fast for him.

" _ **...Unite! Repulse! Be filled with earth and know your own powerlessness! HADŌ #90: KUROHITSUGI!"**_

The moment he was within a few inches of the ground a massive black box of kidō began to form around him cutting off his escape.

"Now stay in there Ichigo!" Aizen howled. "Stay in this perfect black coffin chanted by someone who is on the cusp of evolution! It's torrential gravity is enough to warp time and space itself! PERISH KUROSAKI!"

The kidō finished forming and sounded with a *DUUUUNGG* like a massive gong being struck.

Aizen smirked in triumph from his spot up on high. In all his life to come he knew he would never feel a high quite like this ever again. It was intoxicating. This pure elation of a victory hard fought.

His brow scrunched up as he felt his kidō began to weaken from the inside.

A tiny window opened in the side of the black coffin to reveal Ichigo standing unhurt holding a bow and arrow that had been stained black and purple. Chips and chunks of the kurohitsugi breaking off and being funneled into the arrow to make it even larger.

"Now you shouldn't have done that..." Ichigo said ominously as all of the 90's level kidō was deconstructed and then added to the arrow with his quincy powers. Ichigo compressed the arrow into a manageable size and it shone a blindingly bright purple. Aizen couldn't even look upon it without squinting.

Ichigo released the arrow just as Aizen thrust his hand forward to try and block it. Five separate orange walls of kidō surged into existence from Aizen's mental command to take the attack. The arrow shattered the first, second, and third with no effort at all and the fourth cracked and splintered as the arrow continued to push against it. The remaining barriers wouldn't hold but for a few seconds longer but that was still far more time than was needed for Aizen to get out of the way.

 _ **"** **Bankai: Kamishini no Yari."**_

Aizen's eyes shot open in pain as the sword impaled him through the shoulder anchoring him in place. If he hadn't already been moving then it would have pierced his heart. His eyes trailed the blade back to its owner and found Ichimaru Gin smiling like a snake from the ground below.

The cells that made up Aizen's left shoulder rapidly began to break down from the bankai's poison and in no time at all Aizen's left arm detached from his body and fell unceremoniously to the earth below.

Aizen clutched at his new stump and glared down at the silver haired man in apoplectic rage. "GGGIIIIIIINNNNN!"

The fox like man just laughed. "Oh don't mind me Captain Aizen. You need to be focusing on something else right now."

Aizen's expression widened and he turned back around just in time to see the arrow break through the fifth kidō barrier.

His mouth filled with blood as it ran through his gut and lodged itself there, only the smallest point of the tip managing to pierce out through his back.

Aizen's one remaining hand let go of his stump and slowly moved to grip the arrow in his stomach. "You...think...this...can...stop...me?" he spoke through the blood in his mouth. "I'll...just...evolve...past...it." He squeezed his hand hard and the purple arrow shattered into tiny shards of reiatsu.

His eyes shone confusion at what he found underneath.

Because underneath all that light and spirit energy he found Tensa Zangetsu sticking in his gut.

"No I don't think that will stop you." Ichigo answered. "This will." he said as he raised his hand out and began deconstructing the artificial sword with his quincy powers.

Aizen didn't even have time to scream when he caught a glimpse of what was stored inside the reishi construct. But he did try.

 _ **"** **Getsuga Tenshō."**_

The black flames exploded from inside of Aizen's body. They boiled his blood, seared his organs, and turned his bones into ash. They ravaged everything in their path as they sought an escape from the cramped container, eventually finding it through the hole in his shoulder and through his eyes and mouth. Ichigo couldn't stop himself from wincing at the sight of black fire pouring out of the mans eyes.

The Hōgyoku shone brighter then ever as it tried to contain the damage. It repaired and reconstructed as fast as it could but the body was just too far gone way too quickly. Aizen's agony was it's agony and it eventually broke under the pressure. The bright light dimmed down to a very dull glow as the sentient artifact willingly chose to go back into hibernation.

The husk of what was once Sōsuke Aizen hovered in the air only for a second longer once the Hōgyoku had given in. "It's...not...fair...I...only...wanted...to..." were the mans final words before he plummeted to the ground below.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

 **Hueco Mundo, Las Noches**

Ichigo stared down at the corpse of Sōsuke Aizen pondering everything he knew about the man. Will this turn out to have been the right decision? He never did learn with 100% certainty that Aizen wasn't telling the truth when he explained his grand ambitions to Ichigo.

' _I guess I'll never know.'_ Ichigo realized. He turned his gaze upward and locked eyes with Ichimaru Gin who was standing at the opposite end of the body. The man's bright blue eyes visible for the first time since Ichigo had met him.

"Why?" Ichigo had to ask. If not for Gin's interference then Ichigo's final attack would have missed its mark.

"It doesn't matter." Ichimaru answered in a tone that was oddly serious for his character. "I had my reasons. That's all you really need to know. Take care of yourself Ichigo. I doubt we'll ever meet again."

The previous captain of the 3rd turned his back to Ichigo and took a few steps away. "You know...you really were the most interesting ryoka I ever did meet." He turned his head one last time and flashed his trademark grin before vanishing in a dash of shunpo.

Ichigo watched him go and chose not to give chase. What would be the point of trying to stop him? If Gin wanted to leave before the others got here then that was his business. He'd just chock it up as another one of the many things he'd never get the full answers to.

' _Speaking of others...'_ Ichigo thought as he sensed three separate groups converging on him.

The first to arrive were Chad, Tōsen, and surprisingly Stark. The Primera still clad in the furs of his Resurreción.

Tōsen approached the body slowly like a lost and broken man. He clearly wanted to speak but all words seemed to die in his throat. He fell to his hands and knees next to Aizen's body and tears leaked out from underneath his purple visor. "W..what...what am...what am I supposed to do now?" he managed to get out, his voice clearly reflecting his shattered spirit. "I gave it all up! Everything! I sacrificed it all for Lord Aizen...for his justice...for MY justice..." He clenched his hands tightly in the desert sands and let out a loud wail of sorrowful anguish.

Ichigo and Chad looked at each other not knowing how to deal with the situation. When it came to things like this they were both out of their element. Chad slowly approached the downed man and very carefully picked him up by placing one of Tōsen's arms around his shoulders.

Kaname offered no resistance as he was raised up like a lifeless human sized doll. His hair hung loosely over his face which held nothing but an empty expression devoid of emotion. While Chad was slowly moving the broken man away to lean him against a nearby piece of debris, Ichigo locked eyes with Stark.

"Are we going to have a problem?" Ichigo asked raising his sword a little. "Because frankly speaking I'd really rather we didn't. I don't want to fight you Stark."

Stark looked down at Aizen's body as he contemplated the decision. He exhaled a large breath through his nose while rubbing the back of his neck. "Nah. It's too much of a hassle. I told you I was Aizen's man until his dying day. Apparently that day is today."

The additions from the Primera's Resurreción glowed brightly for a moment before peeling off of him and reforming into Lilynette standing next to him. "It's been a long day. Come wake me up when you've figured out what you're doing next. In the meantime I'll be taking a nap. Come along Lilynette."

"Wait." Ichigo called to the retreating Espada. "What happened to Barragan?"

While the question hung in the air the other two groups of converging Arrancar finally arrived at Ichigo's location. The buzz of around three dozen sonidos filled their ears as the intimate conversation was suddenly thrust into a public forum. Szayel and Zommari looked at Neliel and Ulquiorra's group and the clear signs of fighting the two were showing, their minds already piecing together more answers as to what had happened today after the meeting concluded. Harribel and Aaroniero were focused on Aizen's corpse. The first showing signs of relief on her face while the second gave nothing way from behind his tall white helmet.

Through it all Ichigo stared solely at Stark waiting for an answer.

"Isn't it obvious?" The Pimera finally said. "I killed him."

"YOU BASTARD!" Ggio Vega roared in fury as he made to jump at the Espada. His fellow fracción Choe Neng Poww holding him back with his colossal arms was the only thing that prevented him doing something incredibly stupid. "LET ME GO POWW! YOU LET ME GO RIGHT NOW! I'M GONNA KILL HIM! I'LL RIP HIM INTO LITTLE PIECES! HE…HE…he...murdered our king…" Ggio shouted angrily before breaking down into a somber and subdued state.

Stark scratched at his neck as he looked at Baraggan's fracción with disinterest. "...what a pain. I'm going to bed." was all he had to say in response before vanishing along with Lilynette.

When he was gone the crowd stood silently for a moment. Everyone seemingly waiting for someone else to start speaking. To provide direction for what happens next.

It came in the form of Findorr Calius exiting his own Resurreciōn and approaching Ichigo briskly. "What are your orders Ichigo?"

The orange haired man looked at the Arrancar confused. "Orders? Why are you asking me?"

"When you struck a deal with our king he commanded us to follow your orders unless they contradicted his own. Our king may be dead but his law still stands. I am yours to command...if you'll have me my Lord." he professed as he bent down to one knee.

Ichigo's mouth dried up as he looked at the kneeling Arrancar not knowing how to respond. He turned towards the rest of Barragan's fracción for guidance only to find that Nirgge and Charlotte were kneeling as well. Abirama followed suit just a few seconds later, then came Choe Neng Poww and finally Ggio Vega.

"Las Noches must have a new Lord." Ulquiorra proclaimed in a monotone.

His words combined with the actions of Barragan's fracción started a domino effect to spread among the crowd. Slowly, Número after Número dropped to one knee in respect of the new king. Aaroniero crossed one arm across his chest and bent respectfully at the waist. Harribel offered a small nod of acceptance and even Grimmjow gave a sarcastic quarter-bow with a grin that seemed to promise _'_ _You're_ _the King for now but someday it's gonna be me.'_

Chad smiled at his best friend proudly while Neliel smirked at him with a look much more lustful and affectionate.

Ichigo watched it all happen without any input on his part and by the time it was all over he was left with only a single thought. The same thought he was left with after his first day out with Neliel.

' _What the fuck just happened?'_

But then.

Slowly but surely.

His mind began to fill with possibilities.

* * *

 **Three Weeks Later. Soul Society, 9** **th** **Division Barracks**

"Alright. Show me how you two have improved." the 11th seat of the 9th division instructed to the two girls standing opposite of him.

Yuzu and Karin locked eyes with each other and the twins both gave a small nod in unison.

Karin burst to the left in a quick dash while unsheathing her asauchi and holding it low. Meanwhile Yuzu jumped backwards while drawing symbols in the air as a thin red aura surrounded her.

 _ **"Bakudō**_ _ **#9: Geki!"**_ the brown haired sister called out.

A similar red aura flickered to life around 11th seat Kirihara that forcibly straightened the mans posture. He experimentally clenched his free hand to test how sluggish the paralysis spell had made him.

Karin jumped up in the air and held her blade above her head, clearly readying a downward strike. Even through the binding however, Kirihara still raised his own sword in time to block it.

Karin smirked like a cat who was just about to catch the canary. _**"**_ _ **Hadō**_ _ **#11: Tsuzuri Raiden!"**_

The black haired girls zanpakutō crackled with bound lightning that flared menacing above her. The two katana's collided and Kirihara winced as the electricity spread from her sword to him and began to prick him all over his body.

The officer flared his own reiatsu to shatter Yuzu's binding and then thrust his sword out hard to bat Karin away.

While Karin was struggling to land with solid footing Yuzu had drawn her own asauchi and shot towards Kirihara with a novice burst of shunpo. Kirihara tried not to smirk as he realized the girl couldn't actually control her own speed so he simply stuck his foot out and had her trip over it as she rushed by.

Yuzu cried out in surprise as she was sent flying head first to the back of the room and crashed into a pile of brooms.

Kirihara glanced between the two girls now at opposite sides of the room. Karin sporting a slight snarl as she came up with another plan while Yuzu was nursing a cartoonishly large bump on her head.

"Mr. Kirihara that was mean." Yuzu whined.

The shinigami opened his mouth to lecture the girl but was cut off when a blaring alert sounded out through the entire barracks.

The three occupants of the room looked around confused before a series of small tremors rocked all throughout Seireitei. Tremors that Kirihara recognized as the sekiseki walls that were usually up in the heavens coming down to protect the heart of Soul Society.

"Go to your rooms. Right now." Kirihara said in a serious voice as he switched to lockdown procedure.

"Huh?" Karin spouted. "You aren't even going to tell us what that-"

"GO TO YOUR ROOMS!" he snapped.

* * *

 **Fake Karakura Town (Still Three Weeks Later)**

Kisuke Urahara gnawed on his thumb nervously as yet another hour passed. This was it. The day Ichigo had told him that Aizen was going to make his move. The day his own calculations had said the Hōgyoku would fully awaken on.

He took a quick peek towards Isshin standing next to the rest of the captains and vice-captains of the Gotei 13. He hadn't had the heart to tell the man that he hadn't been contacted by Ichigo in any way, shape, or form for close to a month now. He glanced the other way and saw the assembled Visored's getting more and more bored and annoyed at Aizen being a no show.

Unpleasant scenario's began to race through Urahara's head. What if Ichigo was killed? What if he gave up what he had told Urahara before he died? Would Aizen have changed his plans accordingly? All of Urahara's intuition said that the man would come to Karakura first. But what if he predicted that Urahara would think that and chose to lay waste to Soul Society instead? Were they all waiting in the wrong location?

Shinji Hirako let out a large sound of annoyance as he exaggeratedly stretched his arms. The first sound the ex-captain had made in two hours. "Well it seems clear to me that they aren't coming."

"Please." Urahara pleaded while turning to the man. "He'll be here... Everything points towards him coming today."

"Well then you really need to check your math cause my gut says he ain't gonna show." Shinji announced as the rest of the Visored got up from the various spots they were lounging about on. "Why don't you give us a call when Aizen _actually_ shows up."

With that parting comment all eight members of the Visored jumped away in flickers of shunpo.

Urahara's impassioned cry for them to stay was cut off when he felt the eyes of the Captain-Commander glaring into his back. Kisuke turned around and saw the old mans eyes filled with his own annoyance and fury.

Yamomoto's glower made Kisuke feel like a small child again as the oldest shinigami to ever live huffed out "Are you **absolutely sure** that it was today?"

"Yes...it has to be..." Urahara replied not sure even he believed it anymore.

Yamamoto prepared another verbal lashing for the uncertainty he detected in his previous subordinates voice when a messenger shinigami dashed to his side.

"Commander Yamamoto! Forgive my intrusion!" The messenger spoke quickly. "A state of emergency has been declared in the Seireitei! An Arrancar opened a garganta and entered Soul Society just outside district 1 of Rukongai. The walls have been closed down as a precaution and your 3rd seat has taken temporary command."

Yamamoto shot one last annoyed look Urahara's way before focusing on the messenger. "Only a single Arrancar?" he asked just to be sure.

* * *

 **Soul Society, North Gate of Seireitei (10 minutes ago)**

Genshirō Okikiba, the highest ranking man who was still in Soul Society, rushed to the north entrance of Seireitei with a member of the 12th division trying to keep up behind him.

The two shinigami reached the gate and found the giant gatekeeper Jidanbō rubbing his hands nervously as he waited for someone with actual authority to show up.

"Jidanbō! Report!" The 3rd seat of the 1st division barked. "What is the Arrancar doing?" he demanded to know.

The north gatekeeper stood a little straighter but only seemed to get more anxious. "Well...um...that is...perhaps you best just see for yourself sir." The giant replied as he turned around to start lifting the humongous door.

Genshirō signaled for the 12th division officer next to him to start his recording device for documentation. The small box in the mans hands started glowing a faint blue as it starting taking in video, audio, and nearby reiatsu levels.

Jidanbō pulled the gate up above his knees, just high enough to grant Okikiba passage through and to let him see the Arrancar who lay beyond. Genshirō's brow scrunched up in light confusion as he got closer and closer to the intruder.

He was a tall man with long black braided hair and a mask topped with an elongated spike jutting to the right. He was sitting on his knees atop a carpet he had laid out while he attended to a kettle on his left side. Behind him a crowd of ryoka had gathered who were onlooking from a healthy distance with a mixture of curiosity and fear.

Genshirō approached the Arrancar cautiously and began to speak. "I am the 3rd seat of the 1st division, Genshirō Okikiba, why have you-"

"Eastern or Western?" the Arrancar interrupted.

The shinigami blinked. "Excuse me?" he asked confused.

"Your tea." the Arrancar clarified with a gesture to two separate kettles. "Would you prefer eastern or western?"

The shinigami officer, not really sure how to proceed, slowly pointed to the one that seemed more familiar.

"Ah. Eastern. I suspected as much. I've come to prefer western myself. Not that there's anything wrong with a more traditional brew." the hollow said as he poured two drinks for them. The first a green color in a tall cylindrical cup and the second a brown color in a smaller cup lying inside a saucer.

Genshirō accepted the first drink awkwardly still not understanding what was going on. He'd read up on Arrancar that had been encountered in past centuries. Vicious violent brutes with strangely human-like appearances wielding a smattering of bastardized shinigami powers. At least that's how the records described them. But this one was sitting calmly outside of an enemy stronghold...and serving him tea of all things!

"Why are you here?" Genshirō asked to get the conversation back on track.

The Arrancar smiled softly as he stirred some sugar into his drink with an impractically small spoon. "My name is Shawlong Koufang. I was selected to come here because my king felt I may have a penchant for diplomacy. I am here on his behalf to open a dialogue between our two factions. As well as present his list of demands to the Gotei 13."

The last part of the sentence triggered an angry response from the shinigami officer. "If Aizen thinks that he can turn traitor and then have the gall to make demands from us then he can-"

"Aizen is dead." Shawlong cut in nonchalantly as he banged his spoon lightly on the rim of his teacup to dry it.

Genshirō's angry thoughts ground to a sudden halt. "What?" he breathed out in confusion.

"We have a new king now."

* * *

 **A/N: Welcome to Act 2.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

 **Hueco Mundo, On The Roof Of Las Noches**

* * *

Ichigo pulled at the sleeves of his white shirt absentmindedly as he watched several Número's go to work repairing the significant amount of damage the palace had received during his and Barragan's rebellion a few weeks ago. These new clothes hugged him a bit tighter then he would have preferred. While still looser and more free fitting than the clothes he wore every day in the human world he had grown spoiled by the overly baggy black shihakusho he'd been sporting ever since his trip to Soul Society.

"You should look happier Lord Kurosaki. Today is a big day after all." The 8th Espada said pleasantly as he approached.

"I've asked you not to call me that." Ichigo responded quickly. "And I'm just worried is all."

Szayel chuckled briefly to himself. "Of course Ichigo. My apologies. Old habits and all that. But I think you are worried about nothing. Shawlong was an excellent pick for the job."

"I suppose." Ichigo conceded. "Doesn't quite keep me from counting the minutes though..."

Ichigo's posture shifted as he chose to change the focus of the conversation. "So if you're here then I take it you finished. Did it work?" he asked to the pink haired Arrancar.

"We won't actually know the effects until the boy wakes up in a few days or so. But everything seems to indicate the surgery was a resounding success. As I told Aizen before you, the chances of negative side effects are only about 1.3 maybe 1.4 percent. When he wakes up Wonderweiss will be a 'new man' as the saying goes." Szayel reported sounding very proud of himself.

"I just don't get why Aizen let him stay like _that_ when a fix was so easily available." Ichigo said mostly to himself.

"If I could borrow his words for a moment he said that _'_ _Even if it were only .01 percent then I would consider it a risk too great. Wonderweiss has only one purpose in this life. To fulfill that mission he does not need knowledge, memory, or even reason.'_ it is not difficult to understand his position even if you disagree with it Ichigo. When one considers what Wonderweiss's Resurrección is capable of..." Szayel trailed off, having no need to actually finish the sentence.

"I know." Ichigo agreed. "Well at least this will finally get Grimmjow off my back. He's been grumbling about getting his ranking bumped higher ever since Barragan died."

"Well that is the tradition amongst the Espada." Szayel admitted while adjusting his glasses. "In fact now that the Número's are ranked by combat ability as well I've heard them whispering too. You'll manage to irk quite a few of them by sticking an unknown right in the middle of the Espada and circumventing their oh so precious promotions."

"Well that's their problem." Ichigo said with a grin. "You said Wonderweiss's data should award him the 5th spot?" he asked just to remind himself.

"That is correct."

Ichigo's grin grew even wider. "Right smack in front of Grimmjow. Boy that's going to piss him off."he said clearly excited and greatly amused at the idea. "I guess I should go ahead and make it official by bumping Ulquiorra, Harribel, and Neliel up a spot. How do they change those big number tattoos anyway? Seems like a real pain."

"Actually, there's a machine in my lab that performs the whole procedure painlessly in just under three min-"

A garganta tore open in the skies above them and Shawlong hopped out with a bag of tea making supplies and a rolled up carpet tucked underneath his arm.

"Apologies for interrupting Ichigo. I think you'll be happy to hear that for a first meeting it went rather well."

* * *

 **Soul Society, Captain's Meeting**

Genshirō bowed respectfully at the waist to Yamamoto as the device finished displaying it's recording. The 3rd seat moved to recollect the device but the Commander waved him off.

"Leave it. Thank you Genshirō, that will be all." Yamamoto huffed from the front of the room.

The 3rd seat nodded once and moved his hands back down to his sides. Turning on his heel he left the meeting room to let the captains discuss what they had seen and heard.

Yamamoto cracked his eyes open and swept them over his subordinates. "I will now open the room to comments."

"Well..." Shunsui Kyōraku started. "Some of those demands are rather reasonable."

"It shouldn't matter even if they all were!" Captain Suì-Fēng yelled out affronted. "A bunch of up jumped hollows do not get to make demands of us!"

"I agree." Byakuya chimed in. "This is a matter of principle."

"This 'Shawlong' said he was here to open a dialogue." A deep voice said beneath the wooden helmet of Sajin Komamura. "The term dialogue implies a back and forth conversation. We could perhaps negotiate for more tolerable versions of the harsher demands."

"Oh?" came the amused voice of Mayuri Kurotsuchi. "And what exactly would constitute a 'more tolerable version' of the demand for my head? It does seem like that one leaves little room for argument." Mayuri then flashed his golden teeth in a wide grin. "Although I do feel quite honored that this 'New Lord of Las Noches' singled me out personally."

"What even is Las Noches? The Arrancar mentioned it more than a few times." The newest captain of the 3rd division, Shūsuke Amagai, asked to the room.

"Obviously it's the enemy's stronghold." Hitsugaya answered with a roll of his eyes. "But that's not the part we should be concerned with. It's this." The 10th captain said as he approached the recording device in the center of the room. He tapped a few buttons on the box and a scene from the middle of the conversation began to play as a hologram.

" _If this truly is a dialogue may I ask some questions?" Genshirō asked from a seating position._

" _That already was one. But yes you may. Although I am restricted in what I am and am not allowed to comment on." Shawlong replied as he sipped his tea._

" _The military might of the Gotei 13 is the only recognized superpower in the spiritual world. If you have the temerity to make demands then you must feel confident in the strength of your side."_

" _Well you're not terribly subtle are you?" Shawlong questioned in good humor. "You want to know how powerful we are as an organization."_

" _I'm sure you know a great deal about us. A little turnabout is fair play is it not?" Genshirō replied knowing it was a long shot to get any info at all. Still it was always worth a try._

 _Shawlong hummed. "Well I suppose a small teaser would not be inappropriate. Tell me, what does your little box say about my reiatsu level?"_

 _Genshirō picked up the device and briefly the hologram shifted to a close up of his face as he examined some of the dials. Setting the device back down a few seconds later he returned his look back to Shawlong._

" _Accounting for how much you're likely repressing, it estimates your strength to be roughly 30% of a captains. A weak one. Of course I'm sure the infamous Arrancar's Resurreción would put you quite a bit above that number. It's very impressive for a hollow."_

" _I thank you for your praise. To give you an idea of our strength you should know this. In Hueco Mundo the 10 most powerful Arrancar are part of an elite group known as 'The Espada'. I am_ _ **not**_ _strong enough to be counted among their ranks. However if the Espada title extended to the top...let's say 25, then I would be. And as fearsome as the Espada may be even the Primera would lose if he had to fight our new king in solo combat."_

Hitsugaya flicked the device back off and returned to his spot in line. "This could very well be a bluff from the enemy. But on the chance that it's not it would mean a war with these beings could easily become catastrophic to our forces. We may even lose."

"You afraid of a little death boy?" Zaraki sneered from the row across from him.

Hitsugaya glared at the taller man. "Not everyone enjoys a bloodbath Kenpachi." he voiced with disdain.

Unohana raised her head from the quiet contemplation she was in during most of the meeting. "Building on Captain Hitsugaya's remark about it being a bluff we don't have any definitive proof that this whole thing isn't another ruse orchestrated by Aizen to distract us. It would be foolhardy to believe on this Arrancar's word alone that Aizen is truly gone."

"Shawlong also did not make any mention of what happened to Gin and Tōsen. Even If the Arrancar spoke truly it doesn't eliminate the possibility that those two are still alive. They could be wildcards in all this." Ukitake spoke aloud to himself while rubbing his chin.

Yamamoto banged his staff on the ground to put all eyes back on him. "I thank you all for your input. The ultimate decision for what Soul Society's next move will be now rests with the newly elected Central 46. I will be passing along to them this video as well as all of your thoughts and concerns. The Arrancar claims he will be back in one months time for our reply. I will make sure the Central 46 understand that they must reach a decision before then. Dismissed!"

As the leaders of the Gotei 13 shuffled out of the assembly room Yamamoto singled out the one who had stayed quiet. "Captain Shiba. Please stay behind a moment."

Isshin waited until they were the only two left in the chamber before speaking. "What do you want old man?" he asked tiredly.

"To make sure you aren't thinking of doing something reckless." Yamamoto supplied bluntly.

"And why would I go and do something like that?" he asked with an exaggerated shrug, trying to hide behind a goofball facade.

"You know why." he said in a hard voice. His narrowed eyes burrowing into Isshin's.

Isshin stared back knowing that he and Yamamoto had reached a similar conclusion after watching the video. "….that Arrancar wasn't lying old man."

"We will still need confirmation….but no I do not believe that he was." Yamamoto agreed.

"Aizen would not get himself killed by any old hollow. Unless there's some ancient being in Hueco Mundo we don't know about then the most likely candidate for this 'new king' would have to be..."

"Your son." Yamamoto completed the thought. "His unique heritage provides him a potential that is incalculable."

Isshin's expression turned to one of pleading. "Please Genryūsai. Let me go to Hueco Mundo and-"

" **No.** "

Isshin's face fell to the ground in a pained look.

"It is a possibility that Ichigo Kurosaki is in fact this 'Lord of Las Noches'. I'll even admit it is a _likely_ possibility. But you are the Captain of the 9th division Isshin Shiba. Even if you weren't on probation for your unauthorized stay in the human realm I still wouldn't let you go gallivanting around Hueco Mundo. You have two daughters and an entire squad to watch over here in Soul Society. Don't test me on this boy. You won't like the results."

"Yes sir..." Isshin replied weakly with his gaze still cast downward.

* * *

 **Karakura Town, Urahara's Shop, The Next Day  
**

Kisuke had been lethargic ever since returning home. He knew he should probably jump on doing something productive. Maybe finish that portal to Hueco Mundo so he could go investigate things himself. His prototype only provided a one way ticket. If he wanted to get back to Karakura then it would require several hours of prep time while on the other side. Not exactly a great position to be in if he ever needed to make a hasty escape.

He knew he should work on it...but he just felt so defeated. After he persuaded the Visored to come out of hiding...and had to convince Soul Society to spend massive resources to construct a fake Karakura town...and then actually switch that town with the original...and to swear to all the captains that Aizen would show...all for it to come to nothing.

It wasn't the level of mistake where you could just say 'oops my bad' and everyone instantly forgave you. What little political capital he had gained with Soul Society since his pardon was erased and he knew that whatever the future held this incident would always be a massive black mark on his credibility record.

It also didn't help that Yoruichi was down in the dumps about it all too. Her usual boisterous antics noticeably absent as she lounged about the store.

"What do you think happened with that Arrancar in Soul Society." Yoruichi asked in a depressed and bored tone.

Urahara shrugged. "I'm sure someone will update us...maybe."

The telltale sound of a garganta ripping open caused both of their eyes to go wide. Especially because it was loud enough to be directly outside the store.

A strange reiatsu filled the air that both realized immediately must belong to an Arrancar. It bore some striking similarities to the Visored's in their mask empowered states.

Rushing to the front of his store Kisuke practically wrenched the sliding door off it's base as he scrambled to get outside. Yoruichi so close behind him they almost tripped over each other.

The duo didn't need search for their surprise visitor. He was calmly waiting for them just a few feet outside their door, his arms crossed behind his back.

He was a slim man with long flowing blond hair and an unusually smooth like hollow mask with yellow slits for eyes. The bottom half of his face visible with the exception of a thin strip of mask running along his jawline and covering his chin.

"Pardon me for the intrusion. You must be Kisuke Urahara. Which makes the lovely lady behind you Yoruichi Shihōin yes? My lord sent me here to invite you both to Hueco Mundo to speak with him. He also would like me to relay to you the message 'sorry I haven't talked to you in a month. It's been crazy here'."

Urahara blinked in confusion as he mentally connected dot A to dot B. "Are...are you saying Ichigo is your lord?"

The Arrancar's hand shot upward to point at Kisuke.

"Exacta!"


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

 **Inside the Garganta, Passageway to Hueco Mundo**

"So Findorr. How did you come to be Ichigo's...what was the term you used? Fracción?" Urahara asked as the three walked along.

"Exacta! Long ago myself and countless others served under the original king of Hueco Mundo, Barragan Luisenbarn. When Aizen arrived and usurped the throne from his majesty Barragan many of us were killed. However, among those that survived a small number were given the opportunity to make the change into Arrancar. Then, from that even smaller group his majesty Barragan, who now held the rank of the Segunda Espada, selected six of us to serve as his personal fracción."

"And an 'Espada' is what exactly?" Yoruichi voiced from the back of the group with her arms held casually behind her head.

"A title of respect given to the 10 most powerful Arrancar under Las Noches's roof. They range from Primera to Décima and could be considered our versions of your Soul Society's captains. But going back to my story- Ichigo struck a deal with my master Barragan to revolt against Aizen. Our coup had a very bumpy start when Ichigo was found to be under the effects of Kyōka Suigetsu but we were successful in the end. Unfortunately not before his majesty Barragan was killed by the Primera-"

"Ichigo was under Kyōka Suigetsu's spell?" Urahara interjected with alarm. "But...then...how did he win?"

"I'm not sure myself." Findorr admitted. "When another Arrancar questioned him on this very thing he simply smiled wryly and replied 'Quincy powers'."

"So you all know about his heritage then?" Yoruichi questioned sounding a bit surprised.

"Naturally. After Aizen was defeated and we named him our new lord he made no effort to hide it. We Arrancar are already hybrid beings. A mixture of two opposing worlds. It doesn't matter to us if our lord is a mixture of three. He even gave a free demonstration of his abilities to all the Número's a few days after his ascension."

"That must've been quite the show."

"Oh it was. Magnificent as it was terrifying. Although the strangest thing happened when he used all three powers at once."

"What's that?" Urahara asked curiously.

"His power vanished. I could still see it. Swirling about him like a violent maelstrom. I could watch it in motion as it remodeled the landscape or distorted the world around him...but I couldn't sense a thing."

* * *

 **Hueco Mundo, Las Noches, Main Hall**

Ichigo pounded his fist on the arm of his chair as he struggled to stay upright through his laughter. "Stop! Stop! Please! It hurts to laugh!" he pleaded through the happy pain.

Nirgge Parduoc's smile grew even wider. "So then I told him, 'Well I've got to give you that one, but it doesn't change the fact that her sword's STILL BIGGER!'."

Chad's stoic exterior finally broke and the large man clutched his stomach as the bellowing laughter came pouring out of him. Ichigo's howling lost all semblance of control as even the quincy spirit in his head started sputtering at the punchline.

Ever since his unplanned ascension to the throne a few weeks ago Ichigo had been striving to get to know all the Arrancar under his dominion a bit better. On the suggestion of Szayel, the most efficient way to meet this goal was simply to go alphabetically and try to knock out two or three on the list every day. Today was when he was scheduled to finish up the letter 'N'. Ichigo had to admit that the letter did not have a promising start when he met with Nakeem Grindina yesterday evening after Shawlong had returned. Good lord that guy was dull! Dude didn't have a charismatic bone in his body.

However, the letter redeemed itself rather quickly when he woke up this morning and the first couple hours of his day were slotted to spend entirely with Neliel. Time that the two of them had spent without ever leaving their shared bedroom. Ichigo had never been more thankful for his superhuman stamina than when tasked with satisfying a lustful Espada. One that had grown only more salacious since receiving the unofficial title of 'Queen of Las Noches'.

When he eventually found the willpower to emerge from his room and get some food in his belly he sent Findorr to fetch two people from the human realm he wanted to speak with and had Chad join him for lunch alongside the next letter 'N' on his list.

A lunch that showed his initial impression of Nirgge Parduoc had been dead wrong.

When he initially met him along with the rest of Barragan's fracción he couldn't get a very good read on him. But what little he saw suggested a stern and patient man who really didn't say much. He would never have guessed that underneath that austere visage was a natural born comedian.

Ichigo's raucous laughter finally calmed to the point where he could focus again and he realized that three people had just entered the room. Two of which were starting at him dumbstruck from across the way.

"Ha ha...ho ho...phew...Thank you Nirgge, I needed that." He finished laughing as he wiped his hand across his face. "We'll have to continue this later. I want to hear the rest of that story you hear me?"

"I'll be happy to tell it your majesty." The Arrancar said with his own smile.

"Now now. None of that fancy name stuff. You know how I feel about it." Ichigo lectured with no actual reproach in his voice. Still riding the high he was on a few moments ago.

Nirgge nodded respectfully before taking his leave. He walked towards Findorr and the two guests briskly before exiting along with his fellow yellow-haired fracción.

Urahara and Yoruichi's eyes were practically popping out of their heads. Still dumbfounded from finding Ichigo and Chad in such a casual setting.

Ichigo and Chad stood up from their seats to greet their guests properly. "Urahara. Yoruichi. Glad you guys could-" Ichigo was cut off and let out an 'ouph' when the goddess of flash proved her name and was suddenly enveloping him in a hug.

"You big dummies...running off to have some crazy adventure..." She whispered quietly from his shoulder.

Ichigo awkwardly patted Yoruichi on the back with one hand, a tiny smile on his face as he realized this was technically the first time they'd seen each other since right after his bankai training ended. He had narrowly missed her on the occasions he went to visit Urahara. "Nice to see you too Yoruichi..." he eventually replied.

The woman dislodged herself from the hug and then turned to give Chad one as well. "I tried to get you two out. I was there just in time to see him take you." she said somberly referring to the duo's brief incarceration.

"It's alright Yoruichi." Chad offered as he returned the hug, almost picking the smaller woman up as he did. "To be honest I can't imagine what my life would be like if we hadn't come here. So much has happened."

"Yes, we heard quite a bit from your friend Findorr." Urahara interjected as all four took seats at the table. "But before we get into all that why don't you tell us why you asked us here in the first place?"

Ichigo sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "You know...there's so much to discuss that I don't really know where to start. Why don't you just ask me something?"

"What happened to Gin and Tōsen?" Urahara inquired without missing a beat.

"Gin's in the wind. Ran off the moment Aizen died. For all I know he forced some poor hollow to open him a garganta out of Hueco Mundo. Tōsen's...a bit more complicated."

* * *

 **Flashback, Two Days After Aizen's Death**

Kaname Tōsen entered the chamber and steeled a hard glare in Ichigo's direction. "You owe me." he spat angrily.

The new lord of Las Noches held an impassive look for the newly recovered ex-captain, not knowing how much Tōsen's heightened senses actually allowed him to 'see'. He definitely seemed a much more volatile and angry man than he was when Aizen was still alive. He'd abandoned his signature purple visor and there was no trace of the serene aura that once surrounded him. Aizen's death had broken that man. In his place someone new had formed from the pieces.

"How do you figure that?" Ichigo finally asked.

"I devoted the better part of my life to Lord Aizen and his goals. Two hundred years of service and you destroyed it all in one day. You owe me Ichigo Kurosaki. You don't get to take that away without giving something back." Tōsen snarled venomously.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes. "What exactly is it you want from me Kaname?"

"Revenge. Now that Aizen is gone its all that's left. Revenge for my murdered friend that put me on this path in the first place. You stopped Aizen from giving it to me so now the responsibility falls on you. I will see the noble families burn. Every. Single. One."

Ichigo leaned back in his chair and raised his chin. "I don't see how I can help you with that."

"You're still planning on taking your own vengeance are you not? Retribution against Mayuri? Then war is still on the table. The nobles mansions are spread throughout the Seireitei. I could leave right now and slaughter any one of them in the name of justice but the captains would descend on me before I ever reached the second. A war would be a sufficient distraction."

Ichigo had to suppress the urge to recoil. He understood revenge. He'd even acknowledged war with the Gotei 13 might still be necessary for him to get Kurotsuchi's head. But even in that scenario he wouldn't be fighting civilians. Stuck up arrogant pricks many of the nobles may be but it didn't stop the majority of them from being civilians. Then there was the matter that Tōsen was openly professing plans to kill dozens over the crimes of one.

Kaname must've sensed something from Ichigo's silence because his expression darkened into a deep scowl. "Fine. Be that way. I'll be staying in the palace until you decide if this war is happening or not. You don't need to speak to me. I won't be speaking to you. If you haven't made a decision by the end of the year then I'm gone." Tōsen then spun around and marched angrily out of the room.

* * *

 **Present Time**

"I see." Kisuke muttered as the story reached it's conclusion, his thumb and forefinger stroking his chin thoughtfully. "That is a bit disconcerting. And you're content to just let him be?"

Chad and Ichigo shared a look and an unspoken conversation passed between them. "We're reviewing our options." Chad eventually said aloud.

Ichigo scratched the back of his neck."I mean...I don't want to kill the guy...but If I throw him out he becomes a wildcard...he may even attack some of the Arrancar I'm on especially good terms with in retribution...only Chad, the upper half of the Espada, and myself are strong enough to beat him and we can't be everywhere at once...I think it's best to keep him where I can see him but...then again...bah. As I said originally. It's complicated."

Yoruichi adopted a curious look from one of the sentences Ichigo had said. "Chad's strong enough to beat him? I assumed you'd grown stronger but that's...did your powers evolve since coming here?"

Chad almost looked embarrassed. "Four times actually."

Yoruichi's eyes practically exploded out of her skull while Urahara started choking on a drink he'd snatched from the table.

Urahara beat his own fist against his chest as he spluttered wet coughs. "...that's um...impressive."

"Thanks." Chad said earnestly before shifting his posture. "But I think we should move on to the main reason we asked you both to come."

Ichigo reached into his pocket and set a dull glowing marble onto the table.

"The Hōgyoku." Urahara breathed out. His hand giving a subtle twitch as he resisted the urge to reach out and snatch it. An action which Ichigo did not miss.

"I'm not returning it." he stated adamantly. "Although I'm not going to use it in all the ways Aizen did. And I'm certainly not going to stick it into the middle of my chest like he did. This orb is my key to helping as many Adjuchas as I can. Las Noches will be a bastion for all those that want to escape the vicious cycle they are forced to go through. Ever since I defeated Aizen it's been dull like this. I need to know if I can still use it."

"May I?" Urahara asked with a gesture to the orb. When Ichigo nodded yes Urahara held it up to one eye like a jeweler would when examining a fine crystal. "It's returned to hibernation...not sure how you did that if I'm honest but that's what's going on."

"Will it still work?"

"Oh yes. It's perfectly usable in this state. Just don't utilize it too often or it'll start waking up again. I wouldn't use it more than once a month."

"Is it a problem if it starts to wake up?" Ichigo questioned.

Urahara shrugged. "I don't know. When one uses the Hōgyoku your sentience is briefly connected to it's own. I sealed it away before ever ruling out if it negatively impacted the user mentally. But why take the chance right?" he said in humor before returning the orb.

Ichigo accepted it back with an uncomfortable look on his face. "Chad do you mind if I talk to Urahara alone for a moment? Why don't you go introduce Yoruichi to Mila-Rose?"

Yoruichi's face split into a conspiratorial grin. "Oh? Who's this now? Does Mr. Big Man have a little _girlfriend_?"

A faint blush hit Chad's face and he shot Ichigo a look promising payback. Most likely in the form of telling Yoruichi all about Ichigo's relationship with Neliel.

While the two were leaving Urahara straightened his posture and adopted a more serious look. "What is it you wanted to say to me alone?" he asked oddly serious.

Ichigo sighed. "It's Aizen. During the fight... there was this thing he said. It's been bothering me. He said _'_ _All that matters is the result. Not the path that gets there. Isn't that obvious from everything I've done?'_ It's that last part that's bugging me the most. At the time I thought it was just referring to the transformation he was going through...but thinking back it's like...It's like he was acknowledging all the sins he'd committed."

"Ichigo." Urahara said sternly. "Aizen was a master manipulator. You can't take anything he said as-"

"But this was in the heat of battle!" Ichigo objected. "We were well past the point of head games and then...his last words...they seemed so regretful and...now you say the Hōgyoku COULD mess with someones mind and I just…" Ichigo sighed again. "I just want to know if I did the right thing...I just want to know that we weren't wrong about him."

Urahara stood up and patted Ichigo on the shoulder supportively. "It's done Ichigo. There's no changing it."

Ichigo smiled back but the emotion didn't reach his eyes. It was something that would plague his thoughts for many nights to come.

"Now. Is there anything else you need from me?" Urahara asked as he retook his seat.

"Yes actually. Two things. I guess I'll start with the big one. I'm sure Findorr mentioned to you that I've sent a list of demands to Soul Society. I don't need you to tell me the odds of them actually accepting them. I've got Szayel for that. I want to know what you're going to do if war does come. Who's side are you on?"

"Neither. 100% Neutral." the shop owner replied smiling.

"You think Yamamoto will allow that? He won't shanghai you and Yoruichi into service like he did my father?"

"He's welcome to try." Urahara joked. "Don't forget Ichigo. Tessai and I were wanted for treason for over 100 years. They looked and looked but didn't find me or your father until we chose to reveal ourselves. Now that Aizen's gone, your father and sisters are in Soul Society, and you're here, there's really no need for me to watch over Karakura town any more. As soon as Yoruichi and I get home we'll probably start packing. I've always wanted to spend a winter somewhere tropical."

"So this is goodbye then?" Ichigo questioned.

"For now. I have no doubt we'll meet again. Someday." Urahara promised as he extended his hand. Ichigo grasped it firmly and shook, sealing the deal between them. "I wish you the best of luck Ichigo. Please avoid a war if you can. Trust me when I say that nothing good can come of it. Now what was the second thing you needed?"

"When I first met with you after returning to the human world you mentioned some hollowfied ex-captains and vice-captains living in Karakura."

"I did. They call themselves the Visored."

"Where can I find them?"


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

 **Karakura Town, Outside the Visored's Warehouse**

Ichigo ran his hand across the kidō barrier as he walked along the perimeter of the building.

It was impressive for sure.

At least he thought it was. Who was he kidding? He didn't know anything about kidō. This could've been a very standard textbook style barrier and he'd never know the difference.

' _Well. Guess I'll start knocking'_

He took a step back from the main entrance and made a 'finger gun' with his hand. A spark of reiatsu ignited on his fingertip and he fired a trio of extremely underpowered Bala's at the translucent orange wall.

Sure, he could've just brute forced his way through the protective enchantment if he wanted to but where was the civility in that? There was no need to be rude. Just letting the gatekeeper know he was here would be enough.

Close to two minutes later he was considering trying again when he heard the sounds of footsteps on a stone floor. Looking into the barrier he saw the silhouette of a single man approaching, his form slightly hazy from looking through the lens of the barrier. As the man approached the wall of kidō from the inside a small rectangular hole appeared in the orange screen to allow him passage through.

He was a blonde man, with his hair down to his jawline and wearing an orange shirt with a dark blue tie. "Can I help you with something?" the man asked while leering suspiciously at Ichigo.

"Hi. I'm Ichigo. Nice to meet you." he said cheerily while extending his hand.

The blonde man looked down at the hand warily for a moment before shaking it with his own. "Shinji." he responded.

"I don't suppose Urahara told you I was coming?" Ichigo asked.

"Can't say that he did." Shinji said a little more relaxed, but still somewhat calculating. "Who exactly are you supposed to be?"

"I'm the guy who killed Aizen."

"..."

"..."

"HUH?"

* * *

 **Inside the Warehouse, 4 Minutes Later…**

Ichigo leaned back against the wall casually as he watched the eight ex-officers bicker and shout at each other over his arrival.

The topics being discussed were about what he expected them to be. Things varying from 'Where's the proof?', 'No way this guy beat Aizen by himself', and 'Isn't this the kid that was running around with shinigami powers a few months ago?'

Ichigo flared his reiatsu up to around a mid-captains level to put eyes back on him. "Look. At the end of the day it doesn't really matter to me if you all believe me or not. I'd show you the body as proof except I don't have it anymore. And even if I did I wouldn't be able to prove the corpse wasn't an elaborate fake. I came here for only two reasons. The first being to give you guys some closure. From what I heard from Urahara, Aizen screwed you all pretty good."

"Well if that ain't the understatement of the freaking century." The small one in red named Hiyori scowled.

"What is your second purpose?" Hachigen Ushōda asked from a seated position with his hands folded together.

"It's possible..." Ichigo started. "...kind of a coin toss really...that myself and the Arrancar under me will be at odds with Soul Society soon. I came to respectfully ask that, should a conflict arise, you all just stay out of it. If Yamamoto feels threatened enough by me and mine he may try and entice you to fight for him and the Gotei 13. He knows where to look for you now that you all came out of hiding."

"Ha!" Hiyori barked in amusement. "You expect us to believe that you and a few Arrancar could threaten Soul Society? Why would they follow some young runt like you anyway?"

Ichigo's eyes slightly narrowed at the disrespectful tone.

"Why wouldn't the Arrancar follow me?" Ichigo asked softly but menacingly as a horned devilish mask materialized over his face and his skin turned hollow white. "They did elect me king of Hueco Mundo after all." he proclaimed, flooding the room with the full reiatsu of his Vasto Lorde side.

The effect was instantaneous, all eight Visored jumped back to a safer distance and each summoned their own masks. Many started to draw their swords when Ichigo put his hands up and brought the power back into him.

"Easy. Easy. I meant only to educate. Not to threaten." he said as the hollow traits receded.

"How did you do that?" Lisa Yadōmaru demanded, her voice somewhat distorted behind her mask. "Are you like us? Did Aizen experiment on you as well?"

"I don't think we need to dive into the details of my personal history. But the short answer is I am _similar_ to you. The largest difference being I didn't subjugate my hollow to borrow some of his power like you all did. I assimilated him. I am him." Ichigo boasted. Choosing to make it sound as if it was his choice all along and not something he had accidentally stumbled into.

"A true hybrid..." Rose muttered under his breath from behind his bird-like mask.

"Oy oy." Love Aikawa complained with a twinge of fear. "A captain level shinigami fused with a Vasto Lorde? You got to be shitting me here."

Shinji took his hand off the hilt of his zanpakutō and cautiously removed his own mask. "You're a real creepy kid you know that Ichigo?" he said in dark humor. "I don't suppose you got any other scary powers hidden away on top of all that?"

Ichigo managed to stop the laugh but couldn't prevent the small smirk appearing on his face. "Trust me Shinji. You don't want me to answer that."

A wave of silence met his statement.

It lasted several seconds until Aikawa deadpanned "Ok. Earlier objection withdrawn. I now believe this guy killed Aizen."

Shinji took a step towards Ichigo and brought the conversation back to where it was before it had derailed. "We're not exactly inclined to help the Gotei 13 with their troubles. But just for the sake of transparency. In this hypothetical 'conflict' with Soul Society what would your goals be?"

"The death of 12th division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi. And to convince Yamamoto and his forces to stay the hell out of Hueco Mundo."

"That's it? No grand plot of killing the Soul King?" Shinji questioned over the sounds of Hiyori mumbling something like 'hate that freaking clown'.

"That's it." Ichigo confirmed. Wisely choosing to not be an idiot and mention his personal doubts about Aizen's motivations to actually harm the king of souls. This was probably the last eight people in existence who'd be willing to listen to that.

"Well I don't see any reason we can't come to an agreement then. You want neutrality? You got it." The Visored leader turned his head to look at his seven compatriots. "You guys all good with that?"

A chorus of yes's and yeps met his ears.

"Alright. Guess I'm done here." Ichigo said satisfied as he shook Shinji's hand once again. "Watch after this town for me will ya? It gave me a pretty good 15 years."

Shinji scoffed. "Like you'd even need to ask. We've been here for 100."

* * *

 **Soul Society, Inside the Central 46 **

"Why are we still even discussing this!" Hideyoshi Oshiro yelled as he slammed his fist on the table. "It's been 10 days! 10 whole days since that abomination perversed Soul Society with it's presence! That means-"

"IT MEANS-" Hiroko Sasaki interrupted. "-that we still have 20 days left to reach a consensus. There is still more to talk about!"

"18 days." Kouta Yamauchi corrected as he stroked his exceptionally long brown beard. "Genryūsai insisted we have an answer for him at least 48 hours before the Arrancar is set to return."

"Someone explain to me again how we know this whole thing isn't just some ruse by Aizen?" Mei Fukui asked sounding bored out of her skull.

"We're not going to go over it all for a third time just because everything goes in one ear and out the other with you." Sora Matsushita chided with an eye roll.

Mei's fingers stopped fiddling with a strand of her hair and her eyes moved over to the younger man. "...the fuck did you just say to me little boy?"

Sora smiled. "The fact that you're asking only proves my point."

Mei's eyes turned to daggers as she rose menacingly out of her seat.

"ENOUGH!" came the aged shrill voice of Chikane Iba. "You're members of the new Central 46, not children playing in a schoolyard. Compose yourselves!"

"If I could get us back on track..." Seinosuke Yamada, the once lieutenant of the 4th division spoke up. "Has the 12th delivered their analysis on the estimated strength of the enemy's forces yet?"

Masaru Ikeda scoffed. "Analysis. This whole report could just be summed up as two words. 'Data Inconclusive'. I don't know why they even bothered making it a full eight pages." he said disdainfully as he scattered the papers on the floor for dramatic effect.

Hideyoshi pounded his fists on the table again. "If what we need is more data then let us go get some! Let's approve a reconnaissance mission to Hueco Mundo! Find out what these beasts are really capable of!" he snarled darkly. "If we're lucky we can even capture one..."

"If we do that then they would likely consider it a declaration of war. We'd need to be prepared for them enacting counter measures of their own." Rin Kuchiki said serenely with a noble air surrounding her.

"Then let them come." Hayate Nakajima pronounced eagerly. "Let them come and meet the full military might of the Gotei 13. They aren't a real threat to us. No one is."

"No threat? NO THREAT?" Screeched an old rotund man with an overly large mustache named Goro Zennmaya. "YOU WEREN'T THERE BOY! DURING THE ARTURO PLATEADO INCIDENT ALL THOSE HUNDREDS OF YEARS AGO, YOU WEREN'T THERE! OUR FORCES WERE CRIPPLED FOR ENTIRE GENERATIONS!"

"Arturo Plateado." Kouta Yamauchi mumbled, still stroking his beard. "Now that is a name I haven't heard since my days in the academy. He was the reason we began hunting Arrancar in the first place yes?"

"Arturo was a freak of nature." Yusuke Shihōin dismissed. "He only became the threat that he was because of his damnable power to absorb a portion of the reiatsu of those he killed. I _sincerely_ _doubt_ that there are any such freaks among this new group of Arrancar. None of the beings we hunted after Arturo had anywhere close to his level of battle prowess."

"Well even if you _sincerely doubt_ it..." Sora Matsushita mocked, putting emphasis on the same words his fellow senator had. "It doesn't change the fact that the possibility is still higher than zero. There are after all more than one type of 'freak'."

"And the longer we sit around talking about it the greater that possibility becomes!" Hideyoshi asserted. "We've already missed the chance to kill this threat in its crib but there's still time to stop it from reaching adulthood!" This time accentuating his zealotry by slamming both hands on the table and accidentally knocking a glass pitcher of water onto the floor.

The sound of glass shattering woke Tsudzumi Toichi up from his impromptu nap and he looked around frantically. "Huh? Whazzat? What were we talking about? Did we finish the budget?" he asked to the room with a little panic.

In a forgotten corner of the assembly, Shizuka Kurosa, the youngest member of the new Central 46 slumped her shoulders and sank down into her seat. "I can't believe I have 20 more days of this shit…" she groaned morosely to herself.

"18 days." Kouta Yamauchi corrected from the seat next to her.

Shizuka very slowly panned her head towards her neighbor. "Yes. 18 days. Thank you Kouta." she said as disdainfully and sarcastically as possible.

"You're welcome." he replied happily. Still stroking his magnificent beard.

* * *

 **Hueco Mundo, Las Noches, Szayel's Lab**

The yellow haired boy opened his eyes groggily and winced at the bright lights everywhere. He sat up in his bed and immediately clutched his throbbing head with one hand.

His eyes caught sight of a huge black stylized ' **5** ' tattooed on his inner arm and he scrunched his brow in light confusion.

"I don't remember having that before..." Wonderweiss Margela mumbled to himself. His eyes then widened in alarm as he realized he didn't remember having such light colored skin either.

"Well what do you remember?" A second voice asked, announcing its presence.

Wonderweiss spun his head around and beheld a pink haired Arrancar with a mask shaped like a pair of glasses.

"Y-you're the Octava Espada, Szayel Aporro Granz." Wonderweiss said in surprise.

"At your service." Szayel said with a bow and a knowing grin. "Now if you could kindly answer the question. Your memory."

Wonderweiss turned his gaze to the ceiling and tried to recall. "Um...I remember coming to Las Noches as an Adjuchas, Aizen said he'd help me, and then it's all just...flashes. More like impressions really. What happened? Did it work? Did I become an Arrancar?" he asked excitedly as he jumped out of bed and started examining his new body.

"You did indeed young man. If you'll just give me a moment to alert the lord of Las Noches that you've awoken then I'm sure he'll be down in only a few minutes to speak with you."

Szayel chuckled to himself.

"After all. There is quite a bit for you to catch up on."


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

 **Hueco Mundo, Las Noches, Aizen's Old Room**

Ichigo furrowed his brow in frustration.

He should be happy. Really. Everything was going rather well. He'd secured neutrality with the Visored and Urahara, Wonderweiss was fully recovered, and just about everything was going according to his best case scenario's. There were no real hiccup's to anything he had hoped to achieve. The reconstruction of Las Noches's roof was even a couple days ahead of schedule.

So why was he getting so frustrated by such a little book?

It was a tiny old thing. Only about the size of his palm. Clearly decades old from the wear and tear evident on the cover and the slightly yellowing pages.

When Ichigo decided it was time to clean out the room Aizen used to inhabit he never expected to find a pocketbook of the mans personal writings.

It wasn't that the book was written in some secret language that made it frustrating. If that were the case he wouldn't even attempt to decode it. It was that literally everything inside was written in Aizen's own personal shorthand.

Random scribbles and disjointed sentences. Fragments of pieces of full trains of thoughts. To Sōsuke Aizen no doubt it would make perfect sense but to Ichigo Kurosaki it was all just a casserole of nonsense.

There were at least a few pieces he managed to mostly figure out.

 _SK is first transcendent?_

 _Fuse with Hōgyoku?_

 _Can't threaten before evolve_

He was pretty sure these sentences were related even though they weren't actually on the same page. SK in all likelihood stood for 'Soul King'. What a 'transcendent' was well he had no idea. Although going by the dictionary definition of the word it wasn't difficult to see how such a term could apply to an individual who was the current lynchpin of reality.

'Fuse with Hōgyoku?' was obvious. Ichigo had seen the results of that firsthand. The only interesting part was the question mark that came after it. As though Aizen were questioning if such a move was necessary. Or then again maybe he was just wondering if it was possible at all. Best not to think too hard on it.

That lead him to the sentence on the page next to it. 'Can't threaten before evolve'. It wasn't a question. It was a statement. Something Aizen had recognized as fact. During their fight Aizen had used that word 'evolve'. He called himself on the 'cusp of evolution.' Evolution into what? A transcendent? Is that what his goal with the Hōgyoku had been all along? To evolve into a 'transcendent' to 'threaten' someone? Threaten who exactly? Well the Soul King obviously. His word choice was 'threaten' though. That word doesn't necessarily have to mean 'bring harm to'. It didn't disprove Aizen's claims that he only wished to parley with the Soul King nor did it prove Urahara's claim that Aizen wanted to kill him.

Ichigo leaned back in his chair and sighed. He was mentally running around in circles. None of this was telling him anything really new and he only understood about a fifth of the pocket notebook in the first place. For every scribble he thought he knew what it was referencing, there were four more that made no goddamn sense!

Take this one written at the bottom of page 16 for example. It was even underlined as though it were somehow important.

 _His left leg sleeps within the moon._

Seriously. What the fuck was THAT supposed to mean? What moon? Hueco Mundo's? And how exactly does a leg sleep? Ichigo's best guess was that this was some line from a kidō chant that Aizen had been working on. Those things had the most bizarre lyrics.

"Whatever." Ichigo said to himself as he closed the book and tossed it back on the desk. "I've got other things I need to be doing anyway. The fight is scheduled to start soon."

It seemed that whatever great secrets Aizen uncovered had truly died with him.

* * *

 **Las Noches, En-Route to the Inner Desert Room, 15 minutes later…**

Grimmjow did not exactly take well to the news of Wonderweiss's arrival. He knew something was afoot. He should have been promoted to the rank 5 spot no more than a few days after Barragan's demise. The fact that it had been more than a month and he was still number 6 riled him endlessly.

So when Ichigo introduced Wonderweiss Margela as the Quinta Espada to an assembly of all the Arrancar of Las Noches yesterday he was understandably upset.

Upset enough that when all the Número's had left he immediately challenged Wonderweiss for the spot.

Ichigo, seeing that Grimmjow wasn't going to let it go, decided to allow the fight. Sort of. It would take place the next day under the supervision of himself, Chad, and two other Espada. No swords were to be drawn and no cero's except the basic kind were allowed.

While walking to the grand room the fight was to take place in he bumped into Neliel who was also on her way there.

"Are you sure this is wise?" she asked him as they walked along.

"I'm not worried. Grimmjow needs this. He won't accept Wonderweiss otherwise." Ichigo replied confidently.

"The boy sure doesn't say much." Neliel commented.

"Weeeell...that one's kind of my fault. He was still a bit shell-shocked from everything I told him about what Aizen had done to him and how he was powerful enough to be the 5th Espada. I probably should have given him more than a few minutes to adjust before I went and paraded him out in front of everyone. Once I was alone with him again his personality really...um...how do I say this...'came alive'."

"What do you mean?" Neliel asked a bit perplexed.

"Let's just say I understand why Aizen wanted to shut him up. I still don't agree with that decision, but I definitely understand it."

Neliel only looked more confused at the response but didn't press further. She was about to see the boy in question after all.

The royal couple walked through one of the entrance ways to the grand inner desert and found everyone else was already waiting for them. Chad and Szayel were caught up in their own conversation, Wonderweiss looked as though he was napping on a piece of debris with his hands resting peacefully behind his head, and Grimmjow had a manic grin on his face, clearly ready to beat the snot out of the younger Arrancar.

Wonderweiss cracked an eye open as Ichigo entered and jumped up to his feet. Without needing any instruction he and Grimmjow walked a few more meters away from the spectators and stood about 50 feet apart each other.

"Alright." Ichigo called. "You both know the rules. No swords. No fancy cero's. I'll only intervene if one of you is about to kill the other. Winner gets the rank of 5th Espada. You may begin when ready."

Grimmjow shifted to a battle stance with his hands up while Wonderweiss just stood there looking bored.

The newest Espada stuck his finger in his ear and dug around as though cleaning it out."Tell you what Mr.6, I got a big _heart._ Why don't you go first, I want you to _start_."

On the sidelines Neliel panned her head to Ichigo. "Did he just-"

"Yes."

"Is he going to keep doing that?"

"Ohhh, you have no idea."

Grimmjow kicked off the sand and rushed at Wonderweiss with a burst of speed. He started punching, swiping, and kicking at the blond Arrancar as fast as his body could manage. However, with each and every attack Wonderweiss just ducked, dodged, or sidestepped it. All the while smiling pleasantly.

"I'm gonna rip that stupid grin right off your face!" Grimmjow promised as he continued to attack wildly.

"If what your trying to do is get rid of my _smile,_ then I'm afraid we're gonna be here _awhile_." Wonderweiss sing-songed in an upbeat yet condescending tone.

* * *

 **With the Spectators**

Neliel bit her thumb a little as she watched the watched the battle finally get under way. "Damn he's fast… Hey Szayel! How far under me was he in your tests?"

The 8th Espada glanced her way briefly before answering. "After factoring in all the categories...two points."

Her eyes grew wide in surprise "What?" she breathed out disbelievingly.

Chad looked a little confused. "You rank the Arrancar on a points system?"

Szayel pushed his glasses up with one finger. "It's a system Aizen and I created. When any new Arrancar was born I would run tests on them measuring items such as reiatsu level, sondio, hierro, cero, regeneration both active and passive, reflexes, stamina, and physical strength. For each of these categories my machines would rank the ability from 0 to 1000 points. Neliel is rank 4 and Wonderweiss is not because she beat him by two."

"May I ask what put me ahead of him?" the female Espada inquired trying not to sound threatened. She took great pride in her spot as the most powerful of the Adjuchas-class Arrancar. Everyone above her had been a Vasto Lorde before making the change.

"You have a sizable lead over him in cero and both forms of regeneration. However he has a slight edge against you in every physical category."

Ichigo craned his head over to join the conversation. "How many points below Wonderweiss is Grimmjow?" he questioned.

Szayel grinned knowingly. "Speaking strictly over physical characteristics? About 300."

"This match really isn't going to be any fun for Grimmjow is it?"

Szayel barked out a short laugh. "It's really not."

* * *

 **With Grimmjow and Wonderweiss**

"You know starting this fight I had some _pause_. Here I was afraid kitty would actually have _claws_." Wonderweiss mocked as he dodged yet another attack.

"Shut up!" Grimmjow snarled as his anger kept rising. "That spot is mine! I'll become the fifth! And then the fourth! Then the third and so on until I'm king of this place! I'm not going to let some little wide-eyed runt like you get in my way!"

The new 5th Espada lazily tilted his head out of the way of a roundhouse kick. "You know, you should really let go of all that _spite_. Maybe then you'd realize fighting me isn't all that _bright_."

"You call this a fight? You can't do anything but dodge! If you want that spot you gotta prove to me you deserve it!" Grimmjow screamed at his opponent as he pushed his limbs even harder.

Wonderweiss ducked under a haymaker and stepped into Grimmjow's guard. "One!" he called out as he slammed his fist into Grimmjow's gut. "Two! Three! _Four!_ " he chanted as he followed it up with an uppercut to the jaw, a stomp on the instep of Grimmjow's right foot, and finally a hard elbow thrust to the solar plexus to send the man flying away. "Is that enough or you want some _more_?"

Once Grimmjow had stopped sliding on the sand and caught his breath he raised his head to glare in apoplectic fury at his opponent. His eyes almost turning red with rage. "You think you can make me quit that easily? I'm Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez! Just who the hell do you think you are boy?"

"You can call me 'boy Wonder', in a way its my _name_. Wonderweiss Margela here to put you to _shame_." he announced while striking a pose.

Grimmjow roared in anger as he reared his hand back and launched a colossal red cero from his palm. It tore across the desert sand like a runaway freight train but Wonderweiss just smiled as it closed in on him. At the last possible moment he kicked off the ground and did a somersault over the top of the destructive red energy.

While still in mid-flip he teased through a smile "Go on Grimmjow, you let off that _steam._ Just don't be surprised if I respond with my own cero _beam_."

Wonderweiss opened his mouth wide and a bright ball of light purple energy sprung into being on the edge of his lips. He snapped his head forward and literally spat his own attack back in retaliation. When the blast connected Wonderweiss rushed full speed into the resulting column of smoke preventing any of the spectators from seeing what was happening.

As the dust cleared away they were met with the sight of Grimmjow pinned on his belly with Wonderweiss forcibly bending one of the blue haired Espada's arms behind his back while simultaneously digging his knee into the older mans neck.

Grimmjow squirmed and struggled to break the hold. He even tried building a cero with the arm Wonderweiss was manhandling but a sharp and painful twist of the wrist from the blond put an end to that plan.

"Well ding ding ding! We got us a _winner._ Looks like Wonderweiss is having little bitch for _dinner_."

Off to the side Chad turned his head to his best friend and caught Ichigo's attention.

"I like him."

* * *

 **Soul Society, Captain's Meeting**

"The Central 46 had a vote today." Yamamoto said gruffly, skipping straight to the heart of the matter and choosing to skip the usual opening procedure.

"That was quicker than expected." Captain Kyōraku couldn't help commenting. "There's still 12 days left. Those old geezers usually take as much time as they're allowed."

"New senate. Not so many old geezers anymore." Captain Hitsugaya intoned calmly. "Perhaps this is a positive sign the new 46 will be more efficient than the last one was."

Unohana raised her head. "What was the vote on commander?"

Yamamoto cleared his throat before speaking. "In a vote of 25-18 with 3 choosing to abstain, the Central 46 has decided that Soul Society's position must shift from reactive to proactive. There is too little we know and far too much that we don't. What we need is more information and we will not wait around for the Arrancar to return in order to get it. Fortunately they have granted me some leeway in as how to go about achieving this goal. Captains Amagai, Kuchiki, and Komamura, please step forward."

The leaders of squads 3, 6, and 7 walked into the center line.

"I am charging you three with this task. You will each take your four best officers and infiltrate Hueco Mundo. Your goal is to learn. Not to fight. Find out what we're up against and what the best way to combat it is. The 4th will be providing you a medical officer of Captain Unohana's choosing and the 12th will grant you and your men passage into and out of Hueco Mundo. Special cloaks will be given to each of you to completely mask your reiatsu signature that will allow you to stay hidden. Unless seen directly you will be entirely undetectable. Your goal here is stealth gentlemen. You will engage the enemy only as an absolute last resort. The length of this mission is 7 days."

Yamamoto tapped his cane and the three captains bowed in obedience.

"Go start gathering supplies. You all leave tomorrow."

* * *

 **A/N: It wasn't my original intention to make Wonderweiss a snarky rhyming prick but that's somehow what I ended up with by the time it came to write this chapter.**


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

 **Soul Society, Seireitei**

16 shinigami walked along the tile steps shrouded in hooded midnight black cloaks. If not for the fact that you could still see the lower half of their faces and the differences in height one would say they all looked identical.

These men and women were all among the elite of Soul Society. Everyone ranked 5th seat and higher for the 3rd, 6th, and 7th squads along with the 4th seat of the medical division in case his services became necessary.

The group finished walking in tandem as they reached the edge of the portal. A gateway to Hueco Mundo hung in the air between two large wooden posts jutting out of the ground.

The captain of squad 12, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, smiled from the side. "In exactly 168 hours, that's 7 days just so you know, this artificial garganta will reappear in the exact same spot that it deposits you all at inside of Hueco Mundo. Once it does I will only be keeping the gate open for 30 minutes so make sure you all return to the entry point by the appointed time." Mayuri then flashed his large golden teeth. "Don't blame me if any of you miss the ride home."

Without anything more needed to be said the 16 shinigami jumped into the portal.

* * *

 **Hueco Mundo, Las Noches, Main Hall**

Ichigo listened in fascination as he chatted with the next Número on his alphabetical checklist. Actually he wasn't even sure Número was the right term. This Arrancar was definitely unique among all his brethren.

The last letter 'R' on his list, Rudbornn Chelute.

"...and thus was my duties as Captain of the Exequias when Aizen ruled over Las Noches." Rudbornn finished.

"These 'Exequias' being just extensions of yourself correct? You said you spawn them through the power of your Resurreción?" Ichigo asked just to be sure.

"I refer to the soldiers themselves as 'Calaveras', only when operating together as a unit were we the Exequias. They do possess some small modicum of free will and individual thought but yes it would not be...wholly inaccurate...to call them extensions of myself as you say."

Ichigo chuckled. "Damn...that's awesome. I've always wanted to be in two places at once, and here you can be in 10 or 20 or...exactly how many soldiers can you control at once?"

"To say I am in in multiple places at once is misleading. I can feel a mental connection to all the soldiers under my command but it is not as though I can see out their eyes. Regardless of that the answer to your question is 600."

Ichigo whistled in appreciation. "And how many can you spawn in reserve? In case some or all of your men are defeated and need replacing."

For a change Rudbornn didn't answer straight away. He tilted his chin up and seemed to be deep in thought. "I don't know." he eventually answered. "I'd probably get exhausted after a few thousand though. Assuming all my energy was focused solely on that task."

"Well you're just a one man army aren't you? You'll be doing quite a bit of work if we do end up going to war." Ichigo said in humor but with hint of seriousness in his voice. "What's the strength level on each Calaveras?" he couldn't help but ask.

"According to Aizen's assessment each individual soldier could battle two average rank and file shinigami to a standstill. However since the Calaveras are closer to automatons than real people they lack the ability to be creative in combat without myself there to guide them. They would likely lose the 2 vs 1 battle in the end. But as I mentioned earlier the Calaveras never fight alone."

Ichigo nodded his head in appreciation while leaning back in his chair. "Hey Rudbornn. I hope this doesn't qualify as insensitive...but what's the deal with your mask? You're the first Arrancar I've met that doesn't appear to have lost any of it."

Rudborrn gave the smallest of shrugs. "There are many Arrancar in Las Noches that lost well over 90% of their original masks. It would only make sense that there had to be others on the opposite side of the spectrum who lost less than 10%." To prove his point Rudbornn shifted in his seat and revealed the back of his neck to Ichigo where a few tufts of black hair were visible coming out the base of his skull.

Ichigo opened his mouth to comment further when a nearby door opened suddenly revealing a nervous looking Pesche Guatiche and Dondachakka Birstanne. "Excuse me your majesty." Pesche started. "There's been an incident in one of the training rooms. Mistress Neliel sent us to fetch you."

Ichigo quirked his brow up in confusion. "What kind of incident?"

* * *

 **Las Noches, Training Room #4**

The Lord of Las Noches entered the room with a blank look on his face. Hiding his displeasure until he got the full story. Perhaps there was good reason for it. He didn't know either Arrancar well enough to make any judgments yet. They were both low enough on the alphabet that he had yet to have an individual session with them.

What he needed was more details. More than what Pesche and Dondochakka had known. Because all they knew was that Arrancar No. 32 Tesra Lindocruz had been killed by Espada No.10 Yammy Llargo.

As he entered the room he spotted Neliel first. Leaning back against the wall with eyes closed and arms folded under her bust. Next he saw Yammy sitting on the floor cleaning his ear out with a finger looking exceptionally bored. Then his eyes landed on a group of Números on the other end of the room stopping their conversation as they realized Ichigo had finally arrived. Finally his gaze fell on the bloody pulp of a corpse that was once Tesra Lindocruz.

Ichigo approached Neliel, his gait exuding deadly seriousness. "What happened?"

Neliel scoffed. "Ask him yourself. This isn't the first time he's done something like this." she muttered while nodding disdainfully towards Yammy and then glancing at the blood and viscera that was Tesra, her eyes holding a tiny spark of regret.

"Did you know him?" Ichigo asked.

Neliel sighed. "Only in passing. He was once the sole fracción of an Espada named Nnoitra Gilga. Someone I had to put down after he threatened...well you know that story."

Ichigo nodded as he connected the details to one of the many late night talks they had shared while laying in bed.

He made his way to Yammy and inwardly scowled at the Espada's demeanor. It reminded Ichigo of a petulant child sitting in front of a school principal. A child who had no respect for authority and wanted to just get the lecture over with so he could go back to doing what he wants.

"What. Happened?" Ichigo said much more harshly then the way he had posed the question to Neliel.

"Ain't it obvious. I killed him." Yammy replied as if it were no big deal.

" _Why?_ " Ichigo asked, a little anger bleeding into his voice.

"He annoyed me. Little shit was talking about how great his 'Master Nnoitra' was. He wouldn't shut up about him. Plus he was a weakling. So I killed him."

Ichigo's expression briefly shifted to complete confusion. "He...annoyed...you?"

Yammy laughed. "Yeah. That is what I said isn't it? He was like some bothersome little fly buzzing around so I just squashed him!" The Décima Espada then burst out into a big bellowing laugh as he thought it was the funniest thing in the world.

He raised his left hand up to grip his forehead in his laughter when he felt a slight pinch on that arm.

Yammy looked down in bewilderment and saw his severed left arm on the tile floor and Ichigo in front of him with fire burning behind in his eyes. A bloody Zangetsu now materialized in his hand.

"Y-YOU BASTARD!" Yammy screamed in fury as he shot to his feet. He reached across his waist with his remaining hand and gripped his zanpakutō tightly. _**"**_ _ **BE ENRAGED, IR-"**_

His release command was cut off when Ichigo severed that arm too. The disembodied limb still holding tightly to the hilt of the sword on Yammy's waist.

"No... you can't!" Yammy stammered out fearfully as he suddenly was without a way to draw his blade. "You can't do this! I'm the strongest! I'm the Cero Espada Yammy Llar-" he was silenced mid-sentence for a second time when Ichigo gripped his head and slammed it into his knee knocking out the huge Arrancar.

Ichigo looked over to the group of Número's who had watched it all happen. "You there." he called to them. "Fan out and spread the word. I'm calling a meeting of all the Arrancar in Las Noches for one hour from now. Attendance is mandatory."

While the Número's buzzed away with sonido in compliance Neliel joined Ichigo's side and looked down at the passed out Arrancar. His natural healing preventing him from bleeding out his new stumps.

"What was that Cero Espada thing he was talking about?" Ichigo questioned.

Neliel shrugged. "Who knows. I never pay any attention to what comes out of Yammy's mouth."

* * *

 **Las Noches, The Throne Room, One Hour Later**

All the Arrancar of Las Noches shuffled about the grand room. Some looked annoyed by how crowded it was while others talked amicably amongst themselves. Some chose to lean onto the pillars and walls while waiting for the meeting to start and some went around asking if anyone knew what this summons was actually about. In the back of the room, two Gillian class Arrancar who had retained a portion of their massive stature after the change, passed the time arm wrestling.

Ichigo appeared atop the colossal stone that held the lords throne and looked down upon them all. He had cycled to his Vasto Lorde form for dramatic effect and to make sure what he had to say stuck in the minds of those who heard it. Many of the Arrancar could tell he was dragging something with one of his hands but the angle didn't allow them to see what. He stood there imposingly until all the chatter had died off and everyone's eyes were on him.

"We are Las Noches." Ichigo said in a strong voice as he began his speech. "We are less than 200 strong and yet we hold the greatest power in all of Hueco Mundo. One might say we ARE Hueco Mundo."

Ichigo paused to let the snickers and calls of agreement to die down.

"Soul Society claims we are abominations. That we are a perversion of the natural order. But the truth behind their words is this. They are afraid. They are afraid of what we can do and what we can accomplish...and it is possible that they will be bringing the full might of the Gotei 13 against us."

Ichigo stopped once again to let the crowd have their expected outbursts.

"It is us versus them. Do you hear me? Us. Together! Your fellow Arrancar in this palace are your allies. They are the ones who will stand beside you if war is to come. They are your friends. They are your family! You do not have to like your family. Some of you may even hate certain members of your family. But know this...so long as I rule here...You. Do. Not. Kill. Family."

Ichigo yanked his arm forward to reveal the item he was dragging was the hair of Yammy Llargo. Ichigo pulled the Espada over the edge of the massive stone block and had him hang there, suspended only by his pony tail gripped tightly in Ichigo's hand. Yammy swayed slightly in the air and seemed to barely be on the edge of consciousness.

"This as you all know is Yammy Llargo, the 10th Espada. Today Yammy killed Arrancar No.32 Tesra Lindocruz. He killed him because he was annoyed with him. Tesra was among the 50 most powerful beings in Hueco Mundo. He was a valuable member of our forces and now Las Noches is weaker because he is gone. WE are weaker because he is gone. And the worst part is he died for no reason at all."

Ichigo raised his hand up and held Yammy in front of him. A bright red cero started building in between the horns of Ichigo's mask and the Lord of Las Noches took aim at the back of Yammy's head.

"The punishment for killing a member of our family. Is Death."

The cero exploded outwards with it's distinctive _vroom_ sound and vaporized the upper half of Yammy's torso. The Espada's waist and legs crashed down to the ground below making a mess on the tile floor.

Ichigo released the remains of the ponytail he held and let that fall slowly to the ground as well. "Do not kill your family." He reiterated one last time before sweeping his gaze slowly over the crowd. "Who currently holds the rank of Arrancar No.11?" he eventually asked.

"I do your majesty." An effeminate Arrancar said with a raised hand as he stepped to the front of the crowd. An Arrancar Ichigo had already met with named Luppi Antenor.

"Every Número is hereby promoted one rank. Two if you were below Tesra. Welcome to the Espada Luppi."

* * *

 **A/N 2: In case anyone needs it here's the current list of Espada now that we're sufficiently different from canon.**

 **1\. Stark, 2. Ulquiorra, 3. Harribel, 4. Neliel, 5. Wonderweiss, 6. Grimmjow, 7. Zommari, 8. Szayel, 9. Aaroniero, 10. Luppi.**

 **Before anyone comments that the list is incorrect I'd like to refresh their memory that in my Chapter 2 A/N I mentioned I was swapping Ulquiorra and Harribel. My reasons for doing so are stated back there.**


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

 **Hueco Mundo, Las Noches, Southwestern Entrance**

Over the past week tensions among the inhabitants of the palace had been steadily rising. Ichigo's speech to the Arrancar had kicked a few of the more fiery tempered ones into a frenzy and they were itching to get a shot at some shinigami. Nonlethal spars became more common with each passing day as they helped take the edge off while simultaneously polishing some rusty skill sets. This combined with the knowledge that his majesty's chosen diplomat, Shawlong Koufang, was set to return to Soul Society in just half a week's time had many literally counting down the hours.

"What do you think Aisslinger? You're a smart guy. What's gonna happen after Shawlong returns?" Aldegor asked.

"I wouldn't expect much." the silver haired Arrancar replied. "The most probable outcome is rather boring. They'll concede to the most minor demands as a show of 'good faith' while trying to negotiate for better versions of the larger ones. I would wager that Shawlong's trip will start nothing more than a long series of back and forth talks between our factions."

"So you don't think we'll actually go to war?" Aledgor questioned neutrally. He was one of the few Arrancar in Las Noches who honestly didn't care one way or another on the issue.

"Perhaps in the future." Aisslinger conceded. "But not until the only issue left to settle is the death of that captain who slayed his majesty's friends. This of course is barring the possibility that someone does something exceptionally stupid. You'd be amazed what little things can spark a massive conflict."

"Well I hope war does come!" a small effeminate Arrancar with red hair named Menis spoke up. "I've pushed myself and pushed myself and I'm finally below rank 30! Those shinigami are going to rue the day they met me!"

The fourth and final Arrancar in the room, a massive man the size of a house named Demoura Zodd looked down confused. "But weren't you No. 29 before Tesra died? You were already below 30."

Menis looked at the giant like he was a moron. Probably because Demoura was in fact known for being dimwitted. "You're forgetting about Lord Kurosaki. He's even stronger than the Primera! Which means I wasn't in Hueco Mundo's best of the best until now." he finished with a satisfied grin and his arms folded proudly across his chest.

While Demoura put his finger under his lip to consider the retort, Aisslinger Werner rolled his eyes. "And how exactly does being below 30 make you the 'best of the best'?" he muttered sarcastically.

"EH?" Menis said in indignation. "You making fun of me Werner? You best watch yourself or I'll tell Lord Kurosaki your little secret. That it was you who healed Grand Fisher and helped him become an Arrancar. You've heard Lord Kurosaki's history with him, what do you suppose he'll do to you if he found out?"

Four spindly gray arms rose up menacingly from beneath Aisslinger's cloak. "Say that again and you aren't walking out of this room." he threatened.

"HA!" Menis barked. "You think you can threaten me? I'm almost a dozen ranks above you friend. Even if by some miracle you manage to stop me you'd just get killed anyway. You heard Lord Kurosaki's speech. The punishment for killing 'family' is death."

"You'd be surprised what you can live through." Aisslinger ground out without backing down.

Aldegor stepped between the two, exerting his influence as the strongest one in the room. "Now now let's all just calm down. No one wants to do anything they'll regret."

The mentally slow Demoura Zodd finally put his finger down and reentered the conversation. "But Menis if you're counting his majesty in your list of 30 you need to count his right hand man Sado too. He's not in the Arrancar rankings either."

Menis twitched an eyebrow in annoyance. "...he doesn't count. Not a hollow. I don't care how much his power looks like it." he mumbled.

Aisslinger smiled. "Ahhh but that's not what you said is it? You said 'Hueco Mundo's best of the best'. Yasutora Sado is in fact in Hueco Mundo. Therefore he counts. Looks like you're not below 30 after all." he stated in great amusement just to aggravate Menis.

"And there's Tōsen too! He's still here!" Demoura said excitedly.

Aisslinger's grin grew wider. "That's correct. Thank you Demoura." he said earnestly before turning back to the prideful redhead. "So forget 'below 30'. You're not even 'top 30'."

Aldegor looked thoughtful for a moment. "No one actually knows where Ichimaru went. He could still be in Hueco Mundo...and there's likely at least a few more Vasto Lorde out there somewhere."

Menis wheeled on his companion. "You're not helping!" he yelled in part anger part frustration.

"I'm only telling the truth." Aldegor defended.

Aisslinger watched smiling as the two fell into a fierce argument with each other. Seeing Menis get his ass verbally handed to him was a sight he'd treasure for many years to co-...what was that sound?

"Did you all hear that?" he questioned to the other three in alarm.

"Hear wha-"

The outside wall exploded inward scattering dust and stone debris into the air and everywhere across the room. Aisslinger had to shut his revealed eye but the one still protected underneath his mask caught sight of more than a dozen cloaked figures dashing inside from the Hueco Mundo desert.

"Tetsuzaemon! Quickly!" the largest of the cloaked men shouted in a deep voice.

"Yes sir!" another one yelled in compliance as he thrust his hands together. A clump of foggy green kidō covering them like a pair of thick gloves.

* * *

 **Flashback, Outside of Las Noches, Earlier That Day**

"I do not like this plan." Captain Komamura stated adamantly. His voice carrying authority and power from underneath his wooden helm.

"Well then what do you propose Sajin?" Shūsuke Amagai said back a little angrily. "We've been here an entire week and don't have a damn thing to show for it! All we've learned is that the answers are in there!" he spoke loudly as he gestured to the towering figure of Las Noches in the not too far distance.

"The commanders orders were to only engage enemy forces as an absolute last resort!" Komamura bit back, now a bit of anger bleeding into his voice as well.

"The portal back to Soul Society is opening in two hours and we have nothing to tell them! As far as last resorts go I think this qualifies!" Amagai said exasperatedly.

"Well I don't! If the mission is a failure then its a failure! I will not risk open war!" Komamura then turned to the third leader of the expedition. "Byakuya speak some sense into this man!"

Captain Kuchiki opened his eyes from the rock he was resting atop. "I agree with Captain Komamura. The proposition is reckless. However I do recognize that there is a lot to be gained if Captain Amagai's idea is successful. We are in a no-win scenario. I will accept the consequences of whichever course we take."

Komamura turned away from the abstaining Captain and tried to argue his point to Amagai from a different angle. "Lets say we do break in. How are we supposed to even find an Arrancar?"

Amagai was ready for the question. "It won't be as difficult as you think. I'd wager we'd be able to sense at least someone from the outside. If we choose our point of entry right then we only need to break into a single room."

"And what then?" Komamura countered. "Trying to capture an Arrancar alive will not be a quiet affair. These cloaks are only designed to hide us when we are actively suppressing our reiatsu. If we go in there and start an actual battle we'll be sensed immediately. There's no way to hide our involvement!"

The lieutenant of the 7th division approached his superior. "Actually Captain it may be possible. Bakudō #83 can seal an area of space and obscure everything inside it from detection. Nothing escapes until you pass through it's fog. Not even reiatsu."

Komamura dismissed the idea. "Bakudō #83 is notoriously tricky to maintain. Even kidō masters cannot hold it for more than an hour. And that's under ideal conditions. If the room is larger than the practitioner is used to then that time is shortened significantly."

Tetsuzaemon Iba straightened his back and adopted the most resolute stance he could muster. "Please Captain. I can hold it. You know I was in the kidō corps before transferring to the 7th. Let me do this. We can get in and out in 10 minutes and they'll never know we were there."

"They will still notice the missing Arrancar."

Amagai slid up next to Iba with a smirk on his face, happy to have Komamura's lieutenant on his side. "Yes they will notice. They may even suspect Soul Society's involvement. But they won't be able to prove it. They'll just have a missing soldier and a hole in the wall. Anything could have happened as far as they know."

Komamura narrowed his eyes from beneath his wooden helmet. "I still don't like this." was his final comment as he conceded the fight and begrudgingly agreed to go along.

* * *

 **Present Time, Las Noches, Southwestern Entrance**

The cloaked man slammed his kidō covered hands flat on the floor and a hazy green fog started to spread out in every direction. It spilled over the ground like water rolling downhill and crawled up the walls with the same speed. It even covered over the hole to the outside the intruders had made.

While the other Arrancar were still a bit stunned Aisslinger shot over to his security desk and triggered the silent alarm on the desk's underside. He felt validation at the distinct click of the button underneath his finger before one of the cloaked beings flashed in front of him and kicked him back to the rest of the group.

"Four?" one of the cloaked beings said confused. "I thought I could only sense enough energy for one. I guess this fortress does have some shielding built in it's walls."

"It doesn't matter." Another said. "The barrier is complete."

Almost as if obeying his words the farthest wall was covered by the hazy green fog and it looked like all 20 people were standing inside of a green cloud.

"As we discussed then. The 4th and 5th officers will engage them first. It's important to see how well they fare against the typical Arrancar. We'll intervene if it takes longer than five minutes." As the cloaked man spoke six of the intruders drew zanpakutō's from beneath their shrouds.

Aisslinger's eyes widened in alarm at the information. He already suspected that they were shinigami. The kidō made that much obvious. But if the weaker ones were 4th and 5th officers then that meant the ones standing by would have to be...

"KILL THE CASTER!" Aisslinger roared as he raised his four arms high. Sparks of energy glowing on his fingertips. "IF HE DIES THEN THE BARRIER WILL FALL!"

Demoura Zodd opened his mouth to start building a bright red cero while Aldegor and Menis each drew their zanpakutō's and immediately released them.

 _ **"** **Get them, Jabalí! / Stab, Erizo!"**_

* * *

 **Same Time, Las Noches, Strategy Meeting**

"The 9th division." Ichigo muttered as he ran his hand over the map of Seireitei. "That's the one my dad got put in charge of...which means my sisters are probably in this compound somewhere."

"Correct." Szayel confirmed. "The most likely place being in the barracks. Located here." he said pointing to a specific building on the map.

"If we do end up going to war I don't want any fighting around there. I will not risk my sisters being hurt. Everyone avoid that area. That's an order."

"Yes Ichigo/As you command/ Of course your majesty." were just some of the words of agreement that came from the Espada and numerous fracción in the room.

Szayel felt a buzz in his pants and pulled out a PDA like device from his pocket. "Ichigo." he called. "One of the silent alarms was triggered for the southwestern entrance. But it only transmitted for a few seconds before the signal was cut off."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "That seems odd. What do you make of it?"

"Well it could just be a malfunction. I've experienced problems like this from time to time. A second possibility is that the alarm was triggered accidentally and then quickly shut off. The last scenario would be foul play. I'd say malfunction is the most likely but it is never unwise to err on the side of caution with these things."

Ichigo nodded. "I agree." He then turned to the two friendly faces that happened to be standing closest to him. "Zommari. Findorr. You two grab a few people and go see what the issue is. Be quick. I don't want you two missing too much of this meeting. Oh, and if it's another sparring match that got out of hand please remind them that we have training rooms for that."

* * *

 **Las Noches, Southwestern Entrance, 7 Minutes Later**

Aldegor dropped to one knee and squinted as blood dripped off his forehead into his eye.

His breathing was heavy and labored as he struggled to remain conscious. Two of the six bulky armored appendages he'd grown from his Resurreción were severed and three of the other four hung limply at his side.

 _ **"Bakudō #63: Sajō Sabaku."**_

Aldegor made no effort to dodge the binding spell. He fought like hell to avoid being captured alive. He pushed himself as hard as he could, trying to force them into killing him. He'd even broken out of two other bakudō spells already. But he just didn't have the strength to continue.

Demoura was dead. Aisslinger was dead. Menis was dead too, having gotten himself killed in a suicide move just to take out one of the weaker opponents. Now he'd be captured, forcibly taken to Soul Society, and likely tortured for information. He cursed his own passive regeneration from stopping him from bleeding out as he let himself fall face down on the floor. As his eyes closed he took solace in knowing he had at least killed one of the shinigami in a surprise attack before he went down. In the last small moments of consciousness he heard the distinct sound of five buzzes of sonido.

Zommari Leroux, Cirucci Sanderwicci, Findorr Calius, Loly Aivirrne and Patros all stared in shock at the scene they found once passing through the mysterious green fog. Arrancar dead on the floor. Shinigami reiatsu in the air that was so thick one could choke on it.

For a moment no one moved. No one dared even breathe. Amagai who had been preparing to pick up Aldegor's body froze in place. The medical officer paused his healing kidō on 4th seat Togakushi and Renji Abarai stopped dragging the body of Aisslinger Werner outside so he could start destroying the evidence. Even Tetsuzaemon, who a moment ago was sweating and shaking slightly from maintaining his spell, had stilled entirely.

The silence was broken when Loly Aivirnne snarled furiously and pulled a dagger-like zanpakutō from seemingly nowhere and thrust it in front of her.

 _ **"** **Poison, Escolopendra!"**_

Her actions had an immediate effect on her four compatriots.

 _ **"Carve upon the water, Pinza Aguda!"**_

 _ **"Pollute, Gerifalte!"**_

 _ **"Rip off, Golondrina!"**_

 _ **"Suppress, Brujería!"**_


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: Just in case anyone doesn't know. Patros, Aldegor, and Menis are three Arrancar from a Bleach filler arc. Their last names were never revealed so I didn't deign to grant them any. Upon releasing his Resurreción Patros basically becomes a walking artillery unit who's only real way of attacking is energy blasts. I thought this important to mention as I'm sure at least some of my readers are not familiar with him.**

* * *

 **Chapter 27**

 **Hueco Mundo, Las Noches, Southwestern Entrance**

Half a minute ago the room was silent. Not a single sound was present in the enormous chamber as the Shinigami and Arrancar stared at each other. A pin drop could have been heard. A single fly buzzing would have filled your ears. The ticking of a clock would be like cacophonous thunder.

But this was no longer the case. As it was said.

This was half a minute ago.

3rd division 5th seat, Taketsuna Gori dashed to the left to avoid being crushed by one of Loly Aivirrne's toxic centipede-like tentacles. In the spot where he had just been standing the floor began to dissolve away and emit purple smoke from the acidic poison melting away the tile. Taketsuna raised his crossbow shikai up to eye level and let loose a volley of four red energy bolts. The four spikes of sparking energy embedded themselves in one of Loly's centipede arms and the female Arrancar gritted her teeth in pain.

Patros opened his winch-like left arm and unleashed a sizable yellow energy blast at the medical officer who had almost finished stabilizing 4th seat Togakushi from the wound he'd received in the previous battle.

 _ **"** **Sever, Raika!"**_

Captain Amagai jumped in front of the blast and blocked it with his own released sword. A long white blade with a hook at the end and shell-like pipes that formed the hilt. After deflecting the blast through the opening to Hueco Mundo's desert Amagai's blade turned the color of molten metal and with a grunt he flung a fireball at the offending Arrancar. However, despite his reduced mobility in his artillery Ressurreción Patros easily dodged such a telegraphed move.

"Are you both alright?" he asked hurriedly with a very slight tilt of his head to the medic and his own downed 4th seat.

He gasped out in pain when his only answer was a sword running through his lower back and out his front just narrowly missing his kidney. He fully turned his head now to the sight of the medical officer behind him with a glassy look in his eyes and a large black sun tattoo adorned over his face. Additionally Amagai's 4th seat Rikū Togakushi was in the middle of death throes from having his throat slit.

Nearby Zommari allowed himself a moment to smirk before continuing to dodge the hailstorm of Senbonzakura petals chasing him. He should've gone for the captains head with his _amor_ power first instead of taking out one of Kuchiki's arms. The only argument he had in his defense, even if it was a weak one, was he didn't actually know it was the infamous Captain Kuchiki at the time. Most of the mans profile was hidden underneath the hood of his black cloak. If they weren't in the middle of a massive battle Zommari would have complimented the captain on his lack of hesitation in maiming his own arm just to neutralize the threat. Many others would not be so decisive.

Amagai's face contorted into horrible anger as he wheeled around and backhanded the mind-controlled medic at full strength. Possibly breaking the mans neck. Amagai reached behind him and painfully pulled the zanpakutō out of his back. A small pool of blood appearing on the floor as he did so.

Findorr smashed even more of his mask, raising his reiatsu to full strength. It would take weeks for his mask to grow back but it was necessary in order to keep fighting. Aizen had made the Arrancar learn the powers and abilities of all the captains and lieutenants of the Gotei 13. But nowhere in those files did it say Renji Abarai had a bankai!

 _ **"** **Hihiō Zabimaru"**_ Renji announced calmly as his sword finished transforming into a giant skeletal snake.

Findorr raised his claw up menacingly and spread it wide. He sent blast after blast of high pressure water at the lieutenant and screamed in battle rage as none of it seemed to really hurt the bony serpent coiled protectively around his opponent.

"That's it! I'm cutting these things down!" 7th division, 5th seat Isekawa yelled in determination as he charged one of Cirucci's flying bladed feathers, his colossal broadsword held at his side.

"Isekawa! Don't!" 3rd seat Minami cried out in futility.

Isekawa brought his knightly sword down hard against the flying buzzing weapon and watched his zanpakutō break in half right before his eyes. He barely had enough time for the shock to register on his face before Cirucci's feather continued onward and sliced him in two as well.

Cirucci laughed haughtily and condescendingly from her position in the air. "Foolish shinigami! My feathers vibrate at over a million times a second! Trying to block them is useless!"

Komamura held his head down in shame from behind a translucent orange shield as he watched his 5th seat die. He wanted to go help. He wanted to more than anything he had ever wanted in his life. But he couldn't. While Tetsuzaemon was holding the kidō he was absolutely defenseless. If he didn't stay in front of his lieutenant protecting him then Tetsuzaemon would be attacked immediately. If that happens then his concentration would break and the kidō will fall. If the kidō falls then all of Las Noches will know they're here. That must not happen! They must keep the kidō up at all cost!

Loly finally pinned down Taketsuna and wrapped one of her two tentacles around him. The 5th seat screamed in agony as Loly's poison seeped through his clothes and started dissolving his skin. Taketsuna fired bolt after bolt of red energy from his crossbow at Loly's main body but the Arrancar blocked the shots with her other arm. If she had to take stab wounds then she'd rather they be there.

A large blade spinning like a saw came abruptly from left field and cleaved right through Loly's arm severing over three-quarters of it. The petite Arrancar cried out in pain and started swearing obscenity after obscenity as she clutched at her new stump. The owner of the blade, 3rd division 3rd seat Makoto Kibune, caught his oversized shikai when it boomeranged back to him. Makoto rushed over to free Taketsuna from the clutches of the severed spiny tentacle but frowned as he realized it was too late. Just cutting the limb off didn't stop the poison from continuing to eat away at his comrade.

Patros fired small blast after small blast at 6th division 4th seat Haruna who was sidestepping the attacks with all the grace of a professional dancer. Patros increased his firing speed even further as she got closer, not caring that it came at the cost of a decrease in power. Haruna just continued to dance through the assault with the only change being she was now deflecting some of the energy blasts with her scimitar zanpakutō. When she got close enough Patros cut off the attack and sonido'd away to gain some distance. He wasn't exactly sure what the effect of her scimitar was but based on the fact that it left pitch black scorch marks wherever it scratched the floor he imagined it was probably unpleasant.

Unfortunately he had retreated right into a trap.

As soon as he touched down from his sonido the chain of a kusarigama wrapped around one of his ankles and pulled his feet out from under him. This move being courtesy of 6th division 3rd seat Ryuuga. Lieutenant Izuru Kira then immediately moved in and sliced Patros thrice over the back with his sword Wabisuke. Patros grimaced as he felt the weight of his own person double three times over and he knew he was helpless. Kira moved in for the kill, positioning his oddly shaped sword for decapitation, when Patros pulled the only move left to him.

Self-detonation.

Pulling as hard as he could with his bound leg, now eight times the weight it was before, Patros forced the kusarigama and it's wielder Ryuuga to come flying towards him. Just as he felt the cold steel of Kira's sword bite into his neck he fired both arm cannons point blank at the ground underneath him.

Patros, Kira, and Ryuuga were briefly consumed in a dome of yellow light which momentarily caught the attention of everyone else on the battlefield. After a very tense second, Kira erupted out the side of the blast with smoking clothes and looking more than a little burnt. Patros was certainly dead, having taken the brunt of the attack. 3rd seat Ryuuga's fate was unknown as his body lay still when the blast had cleared. Was he killed or simply rendered unconscious? Either way he was out of the fight.

Findorr dashed around the battlefield with ease. That giant snake may have been powerful but it wasn't fast enough to catch him. All he had to do was stay on the move and take cheap shots at other combatants from afar. Like that one there! He charged up a purple cero on the tip of his claw as he slid to a stop. With a grin of deviant glee on his face he launched it at 4th seat Haruna whose attention was focused on dodging an attack from Cirucci. He smirked as he saw the attack connect but didn't have a chance to see the results as it was time to dodge the skeletal serpent again.

Amagai had managed to pin Cirucci in place with a binding kidō which had momentarily preventing her from flying around. It did nothing however from stopping her defending herself with her flying blades and her tail which was now flinging around a pink energy fan weapon.

Amagai thrust his left palm forward and began a kidō chant under his breath. This Arrancar had shown the ability to easily ignore smaller spells by destroying them with her feathers or tail. So it was time to try something a bit bigger. Just not too big or he might destroy the room along with the Arrancar. Then they'd be screwed.

 _ **"** **Hadō #63: Raikōhō!"**_

A ball of lightning built up in Amagai's palm and he aimed it directly at Cirucci's head. Just as he released the spell a black sun tattoo appeared on the back of his hand causing his arm to fling itself wildly to to the right forcing his spell way off course. The event was so stunning to the Captain that he didn't react in time to stop his hand then immediately turning on him and wrapping tightly around his own throat.

At the same time on the other side of the room 7th division 3rd seat Minami was winning soundly against the crippled Loly Aivirrne. Minami's zanpakutō upon release took the form of a spiked metal gauntlet that covered her right hand. Not only that, it had a small illusionary ability to generate two non-corporeal clones to confuse the enemy. Loly flailed her one remaining good arm at a 'Minami' that was getting too close only for her tentacle to phase right through her. A second 'Minami' was flying down from overhead with her spiked gauntlet poised to smash down while the last 'Minami' was coming around from behind.

Loly gambled that the one coming from behind was real so she swung around and attacked accordingly. She cursed under her breath as she realized she had picked wrong. The real Minami was about to strike true and end the fight for good when Amagai's Raikōhō suddenly appeared in her peripheral vision and literally shot her out the sky.

Loly smirked with an ugly smug smile. She didn't know what had happened to to cause this fortunate turn of events but there was no way she was missing the chance to capitalize on it. Her tentacle shot forward and slammed down hard atop the downed Minami. The acid like poison going to work immediately.

Something snapped inside Komamura as he watched yet another of his subordinates die. He dissolved the protective shield around himself and Tetsuzaemon and rushed at Loly Aivirrne with fury in his eyes.

 _ **"** **TENKEN!"**_

Loly's head swiveled around at the shout and she barely registered the form of a giant phantom sword coming down at her. She never got to figure out what it's source was before she was cleaved in two and died instantly.

Zommari was not having a pleasant time. Those damned sakura petals were running interference every time he tried to use his power. He could have ended this fight in an instant by just taking over the enemy but every time he tried he had to aim through a flurry of pink flowers that just would not stop being in the way. He wished he could reset his eyes so he could try again but the only way to do that was to exit out of and then reenter his Resurreción.

He'd managed to land a couple lucky hits with his _amor_ such as on Amagai's arm and the medics head but the overall majority had just connected with useless pink petals. Now all he had left was his eight secret eyes hidden within his forehead. He'd need to save them until he had a perfect target. Until then all he could do was stay ahead of the pink swarm of death that had already cut him up badly.

Meanwhile Captain Amagai had dropped his sword and fallen to his knees as he desperately tried to wrench off the homicidal arm that was crushing his neck. He pulled and pulled but try as he might he couldn't get the hand off of him. Not to mention the stab wound in his side sapping away his strength certainly wasn't helping. Amagai's face started to change color as he went above a minute without oxygen. When Byakuya's arm was affected by Zommari's power the captain immediately maimed his own arm to neutralize the threat. However to Amagai this idea simply did not occur. He just plain out did not think of it.

The grip of his right arm slackened as he began to lose consciousness and his murderous left gripped at his throat even tighter. _'_ _Am I going to to die here? After everything...all that I've worked for...Is this really how I'm going to die?'_

Apparently it was.

Zommari ignored the mental note that Amagai had succumbed to his power as he saw something far more important. The lieutenant casting the green fog was unprotected! But if he wanted a clear shot then he'd need to line it up carefully. Trying to hit him with his _amor_ while dodging Byakua's attacks would not have a very high chance of success.

Guess there was only one thing to do...

Zommari stopped moving and aimed up his shot. Senbonzakura immediately caught up to him and started shaving pieces off of his flesh. Zommari ignored the pain. He ignored the blood loss. He ignored even more of his eyes being blinded. All that mattered was making this shot. Time seemed to slow down and Zommari saw a gap in the maelstrom of pink around him.

' _THERE!'_

Zommari's last eight eyes on his forehead burst open and he aimed the last of his _amor_ at Tetsuzaemon. Five of his shots were stopped by petals that were floating in the way but three of them landed true. One on his shoulder, a second on his torso, and the third...on his head. Zommari was aware of Komamura bearing down on him with sword raised high and Byakuya commanding Senbonzakura to finish him off quickly.

But none of it mattered.

For the controlled Tetsuzaemon had stopped casting his kidō and was now drawing the sword on his waist. As Komamura brought his sword down on Zommari's head and the petals cut him for the thousandth time he used his last moments of life to command Tetsuzaemon to stab himself through the heart.

The green fog of Bakudō# 83 began to dissipate and all around Las Noches people's senses flooded with the sensation of a massive battle going on inside the palace.

"Renji!" Lieutenant Kira called out in alarm. "We're blown! Finish it now!"

Renji cursed under his breath, really hoping that he could have defeated his opponent without resorting to this technique. He knew he didn't have enough control over it to not destroy part of the room and reveal their location. A concern that was no longer relevant.

Hihiō Zabimaru drastically increased in speed as red reiatsu flared in each of its joints. Findorr was caught off guard by the drastic increase in speed and inadvertently found himself trapped in the jaws of the beast.

 _ **"** **Hikotsu Taihō!"**_

A red energy blast similar to a cero fired out of the bankai's mouth sending a screaming dying Findorr careening through a wall and into the next room.

He didn't get up.

The final Arrancar standing was Cirucci Sanderwicci who had just fatally wounded 3rd division 3rd seat Makoto Kibune. The two had been dueling for a while, his oversized shikai against her pink energy tail. On their most recent clash Cirucci had morphed her fan-like tail into a trident after Makoto had blocked the fan with his own weapon.

Makoto lowered his head to gaze down at the three energy prongs impaling him, one in his upper chest, one in his stomach, and one going through his leg above the knee. He raised his head again and oddly smiled as blood leaked from his mouth.

"You cheated." he said in good humor before coughing up some blood.

"You were a good opponent. I had to get creative." Cirucci replied as she withdrew the trident and blood spilled out of him.

"Well...I guess I'll thank you for that." Makoto muttered as he fell to the ground face first.

Cirucci turned away from the battle to realize that all the remaining shinigami were bearing down on her. Two captains, two lieutenants, all of them looking to neutralize her as fast as possible.

She didn't stand a chance.

 **Forty Seconds Later…**

Captain Kuchiki and lieutenant Kira were going from body to body checking for pulses. They had extremely little time before they had to make a mad dash to the portal back to Soul Society and report this colossal fuck-up. So far the only survivor they'd found among the carnage was 4th seat Haruna who had been knocked out by Findorr's cero. Renji had taken a step into the next room to make sure the blond Arrancar he shot away was truly dead and Komamura stood by the entrance looking nervous and depressed.

"I'm staying." The 7th division leader announced out of the blue.

When Kira looked at him confused the masked captain elaborated. "If we leave now war is a certainty. It is absolutely unavoidable. But if I stay and offer my head to the Lord of Las Noches as compensation then maybe peace can be preserved."

"You know that will not work Captain Komamura." Byakuya replied as he lifted his unconscious 4th seat over his shoulder.

Sajin's fist clenched. "I know! But even if there's only a 1% chance then I have to take it! I cannot allow this senseless butchery to reach Soul Society. We've lost too much already today..." he finished with a weak and pained voice.

The air suddenly increased in weight a hundred fold as a horrific reiatsu filled the air. One much more powerful than any of the Arrancar they had just fought. "Well we can't have that can we?" a familiar but distorted voice called out.

Renji Abarai flew back into the room with a deep gash spread all the way across his torso. His blood spraying out of him like an overcharged sprinkler. Kira caught him out of the air and laid him down gently, his eyes widening at the severity of the wound on his friend.

A masked Kaname Tōsen stepped into the room with a blood soaked sword. "You see...I want the war to happen. I can't just let you try and circumvent it. No matter how unlikely you are to be successful." he explained.

Komamura gaped at the hollow mask over his once best friend. "Kaname...what happened to-"

"I'm sure there's a lot you want to say to me Sajin. Admittedly there's things I wish to say to you as well. But I just don't have the time. Ichigo and the rest of the Espada will be here in about three minutes. If I want this to go my way...then you all need to be dead by then."

Komamura's breath hitched at the seriousness in his friends voice and he raised his sword up to defend himself. "Byakuya! Kira! Leave now! I will hold him off!"

Captain Kuchiki looked calmly between the two. "You cannot win against him alone."

"He's not alone." Kira stated with conviction as he handed Renji over to Byakuya. The Captain balancing his lieutenant awkwardly with his one usable arm and his 4th seat already draped over his shoulder. "Renji's one of my best friends Captain Kuchiki. We've been together ever since the academy. If he doesn't get stitched up soon he's not gonna make it. I am not losing any more friends today! You will get him through that portal! That's an order!"

Byakuya let a smile grace his lips at receiving a command from a lower ranked officer. "I see." He muttered in understanding before giving a small nod of respect to Komamura and Kira before dashing back into the Hueco Mundo desert in a low-powered shunpo. His two charges preventing him from going full speed.

Tōsen watched him go without interfering. Byakuya would have been the largest problem to eliminate so he had no issue with sacrificing 20 seconds of precious time if it removed him from the equation. He'd always have another shot at the nobleman once the war began.

And so the fight that would come to be known as 'The Battle of Las Noches's Gate' reached it's final segment.

With Captain Sajin Komamura and Lieutenant Izuru Kira standing shoulder to shoulder as Kaname Tōsen descended on them.

His mask a deathly white.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

 **A/N: Been busy. Doing stuff. Here's an update.**

* * *

 **Hueco Mundo, Las Noches, Southwestern Entrance**

The battle did not last long.

Lieutenant Izuru's guard was perfect. His body tense. His eyes focused on the masked traitor, just waiting for the first move.

But then it was over. A hollowfied and fully serious Tōsen was so far above Kira he couldn't even begin to follow the attack. His faithful sword Wabisuke slipped from his fingers as his eyes rolled up into his head. Blood gushed onto the floor from the sudden gaping wound across his chest.

Captain Komamura, to his credit, performed much better. Which was still not nearly good enough. Tōsen obtained an early lead in their clash and pressed that advantage to it's maximum. Not even allowing Komamura a half-second of idleness to release his bankai and in turn raise his reiatsu to a level where he may have been able to properly fight back.

Sajin's sword writhed under the strain and his arm began to burn in pain as Tōsen continued to hammer him with blows. An unrelenting assault of a man who knew he was working against the clock. Komamura attempted a counter-attack but was only met with disappointment when Tōsen side stepped it and moved into Komamura's guard. As he felt the bite of Kaname's blade into his skin and took his first major hit he knew that this was the place he was going to die.

At least it was going to be at the hand of his first friend.

* * *

 **Same Location, Just Under Two Minutes Later**

Kaname Tōsen stood leaning above a bleeding out Sajin Komamura not understanding where this inner hesitation was coming from. The man was already fatally wounded. He wouldn't last much longer anyway. So why couldn't Tōsen drive his sword down and just end it already?

Komamura's gaze was blurry as he stared up at his former friend. The sides of his vision were darkening and the only thing he could remotely see clearly was Tōsen's blood stained mask hovering above him.

A rush of new reiatsu hit his dulled senses and he became peripherally aware that others had entered the room.

Ichigo Kurosaki stood at the front of the group with a blank expression on his face as he took in the sights of the room. Arrancar and Shinigami corpses strewn about with splashes of blood and viscera staining the floor. In the back of the group Chad turned his gaze away and tried not to vomit as he covered his mouth with one hand. Without needing any instruction Neliel and Szayel moved silently away from the group to begin checking for pulses.

Tōsen straightened his back and pulled his sword away from the shinigami captain. "Kurosaki. I intercepted these intrud-" he tried to speak but was silenced by Ichigo's hand telling him to shut it.

The only sound in the room was the soft steps of feet as Ichigo made his way over to the dying captain. The Lord of Las Noches peered through the battered and broken wooden helm into the yellow eyes of the man underneath. Strangely not at all surprised by the shinigami's bestial face.

Komamura's dim vision of Tōsen's mask was replaced by Ichigo Kurosaki's visage. He could tell the young man was trying to keep his expression neutral but his eyes betrayed him. Eyes filled with raw pain that were desperately asking a question. _'_ _Why?'_

Sajin tried to answer. He wanted to. To tell him that this whole mess was a mistake. That he never intended for this battle to happen. That this terrible thing need not lead to even more senseless death. And most of all...to say he was _sorry._

He wanted to answer...But he didn't... For it was in that moment that he exhaled his final breath and Sajin Komamura's life slipped away.

* * *

 **Hueco Mundo, Desert**

Byakuya Kuchiki had always considered himself a stoic man. No matter what life threw at him he had always managed to retain an air of nobility and composure. When his wife passed away from her long illness he only mourned in the privacy and isolation of his own room. When Rukia was unjustly killed by Aizen's plotting he did the same.

But there was something about having a man, his lieutenant, slowly bleeding out in his arms that wore away at those emotional walls.

Renji's skin was deathly pale. His raspy breathing was dying away and his eyes were barely open. An emotion Byakuya was unfamiliar with started to creep through him. Panic. Panic that he would fail. Panic that he wouldn't get there in time. Panic that yet another person in his life would die and he couldn't save them.

Byakuya increased his speed yet again. Miraculously managing not to drop his two charges even when all logic said he should have. When the portal back to Soul Society came into view he didn't slow down one bit, dashing right past the group of hollows staring curiously at the suspended garganta and into the tunnel between worlds.

* * *

 **Soul Society, Seireitei, Other Side Of The Portal**

Captain Ukitake bit his thumb nervously as another minute went by. That made 17. Only another 13 before the artificial garganta closed and they'd have to operate under the assumption that...well he didn't want to think about it.

He glanced around at the rest of the assembled crowd to see if anyone was as nervous as he was. Commander Yamamoto was unreadable as always, waiting patiently for his subordinates to return. Next to him was Unohana with eyes closed in her default look while her right hand Isane Kotetsu tried and failed to hide her worry. The only other captain who bothered to show up was his best friend Kyōraku who offered a comforting smile to Ukitake when he caught him looking around uneasily. Not even Mayuri, the one who designed the portal, bothered to make an appearance. Instead choosing to send a lackey in his place.

The rest of the crowd mostly consisted of various members of the 3rd, 6th, and 7th squads who were preparing to receive their leaders back from a successful mission. Someone had even set up a small snack table. Normally Yamamoto would have lectured them on wasting time on a reception when they could be spending time more productively but oddly the commander seemed willing to allow it this time.

The portal flickered slightly, a sign that someone was coming through, and Ukitake let out a big breath he hadn't realized he was holding. The crowd's energy level rose a few notches and Unohana even cracked a smile as she opened her eyes.

"And you were worried." Kyōraku teased to his friend.

"Well you know me. I just can't help it." Ukitake replied with a laugh and relief in his voice.

The portal seemed to grow brighter for a moment and Byakuya Kuchiki flew through the opening at incredible speed. He touched down on the ground with one knee and looked up at the assembled crowd with a frantic face that was now completely panic-stricken.

"MEDIC!" He screamed in uncharacteristic frenzy.

Unohana's reaction was instantaneous. In less than a second she was removing Renji from Byakuya's grip and Isane was rushing over to do the same for 4th seat Haruna.

"The others?" Unohana questioned as she began a healing kidō to try and stabilize Renji.

"Komamura and Kira... Tōsen..." Byakuya managed to answer between heavy breaths as he visibly began to calm down. Apparently that was enough for Unohana to get her answer.

"What about everyone else?" Isane muttered fearfully as she moved her attention from the unconscious Haruna to Byakuya's mangled arm.

Byakuya just nodded his head in the negative.

Tears sprung up in Isane's eyes and what was left of the jovial mood of the crowd died instantly.

"Captain Kuchiki." Yamamoto called as he appeared by the man's side. "Will the enemy be coming?"

"Yes."

"How long?"

"Days. Hours. I don't know. They could be coming right now."

"CLOSE THE PORTAL!" The Commander barked to the 12th division officer manning the controls. "Everyone return to your divisions immediately! Sound the alarm to enter wartime defenses!"

It was like a stampede of bodies as men and women started rushing about. The snack table was broken down in seconds, the portal fizzled away, and the sound of a mallet on wood began to ring out as the alarm went out.

"And someone find me some hell butterfly's! I want to address the Central 46 NOW!"

* * *

 **Hueco Mundo, Las Noches**

Ichigo knelt down next to the body of Findorr Calius and ran his hand over the dead Arrancar's eyes, closing them forever. He exhaled a long breath through his nose and turned his gaze to the corpse of Zommari that they had lain next to him.

"It happened again Chad." He whispered morosely. "It's Orihime and Ishida all over again."

The tall hispanic man wore a depressed grimace. "Ichigo...we don't...we don't know what happened here. It could've-"

"We know enough." Ichigo interjected as his voice turned hateful. "I offered terms. I offered peace! And this is how they respond!"

"Ichigo. We should talk about this-" Neliel started.

"Szayel." Ichigo said in his most authoritative voice.

"Yes Ichigo?" The 8th Espada answered.

"How long would you need?"

"I can have the mobile command ready for transit and put a communicator in every Número's hand within 36 hours. I have half of them built already." he replied without missing a beat.

"Good. Shawlong's still scheduled to visit Soul Society in three days. We're all going with him."

In the corner Kaname Tōsen smiled maliciously beneath his mask.

* * *

 **Soul Society, Yamamoto's Office**

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto stared down at the final two hold-outs from Central 46. Slightly increasing his reiatsu in order to make the two sweat.

"Change your vote." He not so subtly demanded.

"W-why?" One of them was brave enough to ask. "You already got approval. 44-2. You don't n-need us." she stammered out.

"I would much prefer the decision be unanimous." he said with a barely concealed growl as he raised his reiatsu a smidge more.

"F-fine. It's u-unanimous." the second one said as he stared at the floor and nudged his partner in the side to make her comply. "The Central 46 unanimously agrees to enter emergency wartime procedures."

"Good. Now get out." Yamamoto ordered.

As soon as the two diplomats had left Yamamoto opened a drawer on his desk and pulled out a jar of ink. Slowly and carefully he drew symbols on his forearms before thrusting his hands out and a blue rectangle of kidō manifested in front of him.

 _ **"Bakudō #77:Tenteikūra."**_ he intoned calmly to himself.

Countless shadowy root-like tendrils shot away from the blue rectangle and every single shinigami in Seireitei became aware that someone was about to speak to them.

"Attention. All members of the Gotei 13. Hear me. This is your Commander." Yamamoto spoke slow. Taking time to enunciate each and every word.

"Today...is a dark day. As many of you are aware 16 of our best and brightest journeyed into Hueco Mundo not too long ago to learn more about our enemy. It is with a heavy heart that I inform you all that only 3 have returned. 5th seats Taketsuna Gori, Isekawa Fumihiko, and Tatsuda Kanezane. 4th seats Rikū Togakushi, Hiroto Marise, and Nagata Seiichi. 3rd seats Makoto Kibune, Minami Ruka, and Ryuuga Tahara. Lieutenant Tetsuzaemon Iba and Captain Shūsuke Amagai all heroically lost their lives in the fight against evil."

All throughout Seireitei the friends and comrades of the fallen began to weep and grieve. Minami's fiance fell to his knees with tears streaming down his face. Rikū's sister let out a heart-wrenching wail as her friends surrounded her. Ikkaku Madarame uncorked his gourd and took a triple shot of alcohol in honor of his frequent training partner Tetsuzaemon.

"The fates of Lieutenant Izuru Kira and Captain Sajin Komamura remain unknown but we must assume they are lost to us as well."

Yamamoto's voice, which had been soft and sad, suddenly shifted to grit and conviction.

"The time for conversation is over. The time for discussion and rhetoric is gone. We. Are. At War. We face an Arrancar army who's power is unknown. Their numbers unknown. The days to come will not be easy. There will be pain. There will be suffering. We will be confronting the greatest threat our society has ever known. But we will triumph. It is not a war we will lose. May the Soul King bless us all. And all those who believe in justice and righteousness."

* * *

 **10** **th** **Division Barracks, Same Time**

As Yamamoto's speech concluded the 10th squad's newest janitor smiled to himself as he swept some dust up with a broom. Things were progressing much quicker than anticipated. It hadn't even been a month since he had returned to Soul Society.

And to think he had just gotten used to wearing the wig and fake beard too? Oh well. The sooner he could remove the triple layer of reiatsu suppression seals on his body the better.

' _Don't worry Rangiku._ _I won't let anything happen to you. Not again.'_ Ichimaru told himself.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

 **Soul Society, Seireitei**

It began with a distraction.

Three days after Yamamoto's declaration a massive tear in dimensional space opened in the clear sky above Sōkyoku hill. The colossal hollow aberration known only as 'Hooleer' slowly lumbered a few steps out the garganta and roared so loud that the hillside shook.

As the alarms rang out and shinigami everywhere started pouring out of their barracks, Hooleer opened his gaping maw and _literally_ vomited a small sea of Gillians onto the rocky terrain. The menos slipped and stumbled over each other as they tried to right themselves and their collective howls rang out for all to hear.

With it's job complete and an almost smug look in its one yellow eye the gargantuan and lethargic hollow began the slow process of back peddling back inside the garganta, one big clunky step at a time.

"Oh no you don't you big bastard..." Captain Suì-Fēng muttered under her breath as she scaled the cliffside in a full sprint. She wasn't going to let the monster leave without a going-away gift. Suì-Fēng pushed her shunpo harder and appeared at the base of the execution stand. She skillfully hopped from menos to menos, navigating through the mess of bodies before launching herself into the air and hovering in front of the shrinking garganta.

"You forgot something!" she yelled with a fanatical grin as she thrust her right hand hand forward. _**"**_ _ **Hado #88: Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō!"**_

A titanic blue beam of electrical spirit energy erupted from Suì-Fēng's palm and rocketed towards the single yellow eye of Hooleer. The stream of destructive kidō slipped through the thinning garganta and Suì-Fēng was rewarded with a screech of agony from the beast right before the portal finished closing.

On the grounds below her, shinigami officers appeared in droves to start cutting down the Gillians while the dull minded menos desperately fired off ceros in an attempt to defend themselves.

* * *

 **Soul Society, Rukongai 2** **nd** **District, Same Time**

As the bulk of Seireitei was focused on Hooleer's visit a second much smaller garganta opened up along the border between districts in Rukongai. While this portal was large enough to register on the 12th divisions sensors the technician managing the computer was too preoccupied with the larger incident to take notice right way.

Szayel Aporro Granz and three of his assistants stepped out of the passageway and immediately began unloading bulky equipment with haste. Portable generators, a holographic display map of Seireitei, and computer monitors being just a few of the notable items.

The few citizens of the district who happened to be nearby fled immediately upon seeing the intruders and one man screamed a message about alerting the Gotei 13 as he was running away.

A few minutes later Szayel's mobile command post was operational and he slipped a headset over his ears.

"This is Szayel. We're ready on this end Lord Kurosaki. Last chance to back out."

The connection was hazy and full of static as the devices communicated between dimensions. For a moment he thought that his Lord was indeed considering calling it off. But then, surely enough, the 8th Espada heard the warbled and distorted voice of his commander speak from the other side. "...Proceed with the Invasion..."

Szayel's fingers whirled over his keyboard and with a few button clicks his headset had switched whom he was speaking to. "We've got the green light. You're up Chelute."

* * *

 **Hueco Mundo, Las Noches, Two** **Night's Ago**

The Lord of Las Noches stood tall before his subjects. An uncharacteristic expression marring his face. His usual jovial and carefree smile replaced by an ugly sneer. At his side his right hand Yasutora Sado fidgeted slightly, uncomfortable with the way his best friend had begun acting since the shinigami attack yesterday. Something had changed inside Ichigo. That same darkness from when they were in the prison cell had returned; only instead of depression it brought with it a cold fury.

He wasn't the only one who noticed it either. Earlier the 8th and 9th Espada's deliberately referred to Ichigo as 'Lord Kurosaki' instead of his given name. A habit his friend had been working on breaking them out of after taking over Aizen's rule. Only this time...Ichigo didn't correct them.

Regardless though, Chad had every intention of fulfilling his promise and following Ichigo to the end. Wherever it may lead.

"Soul Society needs to learn that they cannot operate with impunity." Ichigo began. "That their actions have consequences. That they do not get to come into Hueco Mundo whenever it suits them! They do not get to kill members of our family without grave repercussion!" His gaze rolled over the crowd. Meeting the eyes of many Arrancar as he did so. "I intend to teach them this lesson! I intend to carve it so deep into their psyche that they will not even think of bothering us again for the next three centuries! Who will come with me and help educate these so-called 'gods of death'!" he questioned with a mocking shout.

The crowd answered with a series of roars and battle-cries.

"Well then you best get ready! They want a war? We'll give them one they'll never forget!"

* * *

 **Inside The Garganta, Present Time**

"...We've got the green light. You're up Chelute..." Came the partially static covered voice of Szayel into Rudbornn's ear.

"Acknowledged. Just a few more..." The Arrancar replied as copious amounts of sweat poured down his neck. He grit his teeth and pushed what tiny fragments of reiatsu he had left into the branches of his Resurreción and 'Calaveras' numbers 2994 through 3000 were birthed like magical fruit.

The final six automatons silently took their post with the last battle group while Rudbornn exited his released state and collapsed onto his butt in exhaustion.

"Deploying..." he reported into his earpiece between heavy pants.

* * *

 **Soul Society, Seireitei**

Just as the third to last Gillian was disintegrating from being slain by a zanpakutō, twenty more garganta's opened in even spacing over the skies of Seireitei. Each dimensional tear expelled a group of 150 mass-produced Calaveras soldiers that began to rain down over the city like paratroopers.

Battles sprang up immediately. Bright flashes of kidō shot into the sky taking out a small number of the hollow foot soldiers but the overwhelming majority made it the ground unimpeded. With their landing came the screams of weaker shinigami and the iconic sound of steel clashing against steel.

If one could take a birds eye view over the heart of Soul Society they could bear witness to the city slowly transforming itself into a warzone.

Not too long after the fighting began, one last garganta appeared in the sky. This one roughly the same size as the one that housed Hooleer. From it spouted just over 100 fighters of a much higher grade than the Calaveras already below.

"Those of you with special assignments know what they are." The Lord of Las Noches spoke loudly. "The rest of you spread out and raise hell! And if you spot Kurotsuchi you better damn well call it in! He's mine!"

With that, all but five of the small army scattered in different directions.

"Any reason you asked me to stay behind?" Neliel asked with a tilt of her head. Her two fracción flanking behind her silently.

For a brief moment the hate that had filled Ichigo's eyes the past three days disappeared. His gaze turning soft. "Please...be safe...find him if you can...don't endanger yourself if you can't... I don't know what I would do if I lost you."

"Silly boy." Neliel smiled as she cupped his cheek with one hand. "I love you too. Don't worry. I'll find your father and I'll get him out."

The 4th Espada pecked Ichigo on the cheek and gave him a wink before vanishing in a blur of sonido along with Pesche and Dondochakka.

"Do you really think she'll find him in this mess?" Chad asked with a slight frown. "With so many battles going on, sensing for a specific reiatsu is going to be impossible."

"Szayel knows to tell her if someone spots him." Ichigo dismissed as the hard look returned to his eyes.

"And your sisters?"

"Nirgge is heading straight for the 9th division barracks. He knows to avoid fighting until he can find them. As long as Yuzu and Karin are where they're supposed to be it'll be fine."

"What about your human body? Kon's still using it isn't he?"

Ichigo gave a half-annoyed look to Chad as his best friend kept asking questions. The tall man had been expressing doubts at every opportunity the past few days. "If we happen upon it I'll keep it around for a few years and then get rid of it once I'm ready to slow down aging. I don't need that old thing anymore. You might want to consider doing the same."

Chad just continued to slightly frown.

* * *

"Yoshiba! Akio! Do it now!" Ryobe called as he disconnected his sword from the Calaveras.

 _ **"** **HADŌ #31: SHAKKAHŌ!"**_ his two comrades shouted in unison.

The twin fireballs exploded onto the Calavera's chest, sending the Arrancar trooper crashing into the nearest wall before it slumped over and fell dead on the ground. The trio of shinigami's chance to celebrate was unfortunately cut short when four more of Rudborrn's spawn peaked over the closest rooftop and dropped down in front of them.

Ryobe cursed under his breath and swiftly pulled out his denreishinki communicator. "Hideyoshi! Are you there? I've lost half my team! We're cut off and outnumbered! We need an officer down here NOW!"

' _Hold the line soldier! We're dealing with problems of our own over here! Keep fighting as long as you can and show these Hollow fucks who they're deal-_ ' the transmission cut off abruptly.

"Hideyoshi? Hideyoshi come in! Are you there?"

The four new Calaveras drew their blades and Ryobe dropped his communicator to put both hands back on his zanpakutōs hilt.

He couldn't see how his team was getting out of this.

* * *

5th squad 8th seat Masanobu's electrified whip shikai wrapped around a duo of Calaveras pinning the two together. With a battle roar the burly man twirled his arms overhead; swinging the enemies at high speed before pulling down sharply and slamming them into the tile ground.

They did not get up.

"Alright!/ Go Masanobu!/You show 'em!" some of his squad mates cheered from behind him.

"I know I know. I'm pretty amazing." the officer said proudly, lapping up the praise.

A slow clapping came from up the street. "Yes yes. Very impressive." A feminine voice mocked derisively. Through the smoke of a nearby collapsed building a woman dressed all in white with bright green hair sauntered towards them. "How would you like a real opponent?"

"Oh? Let me guess? Is that supposed to be you?" Masanobu asked without worry as his whip sparked and crackled.

"Amazing. There's actually a brain cell under all that brawn." she responded as she finished her slow clap. "Yes! Me! The 63rd Arrancar, Nyddia Ferréca!"

* * *

 **Rukongai, 2** **nd** **District**

Szayel and his three assistants studied the holographic map of Seireitei intently as reports started flooding in on battles waging. Little lights flashing over the map as their forces slowly dispersed throughout the Gotei 13's stronghold.

"Excellent Doloreena. Head southeast and back up Kajarune. He's going to need it." One of the assistants directed while studying the map.

The second one grasped her headset in alarm and nearly shouted. "Has she seen you yet? Then get out of there while you still can! You are not cleared to take on a 3rd seat officer!"

"The 6th Calaveras battle group is being decimated. Edrad, head north of your current position and find out who's doing it." The final assistant ordered.

"Someone get me eyes on Kurotsuchi!" Szayel Aporro Granz barked into his. A touch of frustration lacing his voice. "He wasn't at the 12th and we aren't leaving until Lord Kurosaki finds him and puts his head on a spike!"

* * *

 **Soul Society, Seireitei**

"Is this all an Arrancar's Resurrección is capable of?" 2nd squad 9th seat Sukejuro asked. "I find myself...disappointed."

Baeziil Perona coughed up blood as he tried to laugh from his spot on the floor. "I wouldn't...get too...overconfident...shinigami." he spoke weakly as his vision started to fade.

"And why is that monster?" Sukejuro asked smugly. His sword's tip flush with the downed creatures throat.

"We're ranked...by strength...I'm only #98...they don't...get much...lower than me..." he managed to finish before laughing feebly again.

"And what about that is so funny?" Sukejuro had to ask.

"Because...my backup...#71 just arrived...and he's right behind you." Baeziil chuckled out as he died.

* * *

Zaraki Kenpachi tore through the crowd of the 17th Calaveras battle group with a bored look on his face. With each and every swing of his sword another opponent was struck down.

"Come on! Come on! Isn't there anyone here who isn't trash?" he almost pouted in a raised voice.

"Go Kenny! You can do it!" Yachiru Kusajishi cheered from atop a nearby building.

Kenpachi's blade cleaved through yet another soldier and the captain grunted in disappointment. "I'm getting bored of stepping on these ants..."

"Here! Here! Here! Here! Here!" an effeminate voice called out as an Arrancar descended from the sky and landed with a flourish. "Eyes over here! It's the most beautiful Arrancar, Charlotte Chuhlhourne!" the man said while striking a pose.

"Eh? Kenny! Look! An ugly guy appeared!" Yachiru chirped excitedly.

"UGLY?!" Charlotte thundered in outrage. "How dare you! Listen up! Those that call others ugly are the ones who are truly ugly! Those like me who are pure of heart are the embodiment of love and beauty...itself..." Charlotte trailed off as he finally realized whom exactly it was he had stumbled upon. Raising a hand to the earpiece he was wearing, he spoke up in an uncharacteristic business-like tone. "Oi. Szayel-kun. I found Kenpachi and his adjutant."

' _Don't you ever call me that again Chuhlhourne. I'll reroute the nearest Espada to your location.'_ The Octava responded in his ear.

"Oh? So you know me?" Kenpachi asked with disinterest, his sword now hanging casually over his shoulder. "Are you one of the strong Arrancar I've heard about or are you just trash like them?" he asked with a slight head tilt towards the corpses of Rudbornn's Calaveras. The few survivors having already scattered to safer areas.

"Of course!" Charlotte beamed proudly. "I was once the faithful fracción of the King of Hueco Mundo and now I serve the new Lord of Las Noches just as faithfully!"

"Ohhh?" Kenpachi grunted with a little excitement creeping into his voice. "Maybe you will be some fun...tell you what. I'll give you the first hit. Go ahead. Give me your best shot. I'll just stand here and take it."

Charlotte raised his chin slightly and looked down haughtily on the shinigami captain. "My oh my. How arrogant...do you start all your fights this way?" he asked with condescension.

"What are you talking about?" Kenpachi replied with a bloodcrazed grin. "This isn't a fight yet. We still need to decide if you're even worth my time."

The Arrancar's face shifted into a nasty sneer. "Well then allow me to demonstrate for you!" he called out as he held his hands in a heart shape. _**"**_ _ **Ultimate Technique, Beautiful Charlotte Chulhourne's Final Holy Wonderful Pretty Super Magnum Sexy Sexy Glamerous...CERO!"**_

The violet extra-wide cero exploded out of Charlotte's hands consuming Kenpachi and the entire street with him. Charlotte watched with great satisfaction as his opponent took the direct hit and the walls on both sides of the captain were vaporized.

Then he felt the sword cut him in half.

"Ah...what a let down." he heard the shinigami's voice from behind him. "Turns out you were just trash after all...let's go Yachiru."

Kenpachi received no reply except for the wet plop of both halves of Charlotte Chulhourne hitting the ground.

"Yachiru?" he questioned as he looked up to where he left her.

His expression turned murderous as he saw his lieutenant draped unconscious under the arm of a grinning blue-haired man.

"Who the hell are you?" he barked angrily.

The blue-haired man shared a crazed grin of his own.

"The name's Grimmjow! The 6th Espada!"


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

 **Soul Society, Seireitei**

In a strangely serene section of Seireitei the Kuchiki family manor sat quiet and peaceful as if unaware of all the death and devastation taking place outside it's walls. Koi swam freely in the large pond outside and the flower garden wafted lightly in the gentle breeze.

The western wall of the complex suddenly collapsed into rubble as a disgusting insectoid creature with four arms and covered in black fur landed atop it.

"NOOOOBLES!" Kaname Tōsen screeched out, clad in the full power of his Resurrección. "YOUR RECKONING IS HERE!"

Twin energy beams shot out of Tōsen's eyes blowing away huge sections of the manor. "JUSTICE! IS! HERE!" he screeched as he continued to desecrate the grounds beyond repair. An overwhelming sense of catharsis took over the ex-captains mind. He was finally here! After so many years of waiting. More than a century under Aizen planning on razing the society of these nobles into ash. It had finally come to fruition!

Tōsen ran throughout the compound slashing and tearing at whatever he could get his claws on. How dare the four noble families live in such excess when others had nothing? How dare they trample on the innocent to sustain their fat appetites? People like his friend who's justice was denied? Her unrighteous death ignored just because it was a _noble_ who killed her.

A full minute into his self-indulgent rampage a question managed to pierce his rage clouded mind.

' _Where is everyone?'_

There were no guards rushing to intercept him. No dead bodies in the burning rubble he had created. No screams to satisfy his earned fury.

' _WHERE THE HELL ARE THEY!'_

Then Tōsen realized. Of course they'd be in hiding. Soul Society knew war was coming. The nobles knew chaos could be only a few short days away. But where would they have gone? Somewhere in Rukongai? A secret bunker built into some random hillside? If he visited the other nobles mansions would he find them just as empty? He didn't have time to search all of Soul Society!

How was he going to find them? How? How? How? How? How? HOW? HOW? HOW? HOW? BYAKUYA!

The thought struck Tōsen like a bolt of lightning. Byakuya would know! He'd have to! He was going to save killing the noble captain for last but...

Tōsen shot into the air, his insect wings buzzing violently in anticipation.

* * *

Rangiku Matsumoto finished cutting down the last of the group of Calaveras and immediately began racing across the rooftops again, not staying behind to hear the gratitude of those she had just saved.

There were so many distress calls coming in and she didn't have time to respond to them all. Another group of 10th division members were fighting tooth and nail against the mass-produced Arrancar soldiers about a minute west of her and another group just as large was doing the same to her east. Her denreishinki communicator beeped again and she was greeted with an alert saying her squads 7th seat had hit his emergency button.

"His opponent must be serious. Kōichirō never asks for help..." she mumbled under her breath with concern.

Just then a massive reiatsu signature slammed into existence right behind her. Rangiku's eyes widened as she recognized it immediately and felt it wash over her.

She was about to swivel around when she felt the powerful chop to the back of her neck and blacked out instantly.

Ichimaru Gin gently caught Rangiku with one arm around her waist before her body could fall. "I'm sorry Rangiku...I know you're going to be pissed at me when you wake up. If you need to hit me then that's okay. It doesn't matter...your safety is the only thing that has ever mattered to me." he spoke softly. His voice so full of emotion that if anyone had heard it they would not believe it was 'Ichimaru Gin' who had said it.

"Come on. Let's get you outta here." he said, placing her gently onto his back and then racing at top speed towards the nearest exit into Rukongai.

* * *

10th division 7th seat Kōichirō Takezoe gripped his chakrams tighter as the black dome enveloped him. All light disappeared and the officer could no longer even see the tile he was standing on.

"How do you like my ultimate technique?" the 38th Arrancar Ienzo Viristio's voice asked seemingly from every direction. "I call it ' _ **La Mirada De La Oscuridad**_ '. I spent years crafting it. You should feel honored. You're the first shinigami I've ever shown it to."

Takezoe didn't respond. He steadied his breathing as he slowly shifted his two chakrams into a defensive position. Wherever the attack was coming from...he would be ready.

Little red sparks began to appear across the blackness, slowly dotting the inside of the empty dome like stars in the night sky. They were above him, around him and somehow even below him.

"What in the..." Takazoe muttered in confusion as his stance subconsciously loosened.

Not two moments later all the red dots swelled in size considerably and Takezoe recognized them as 'Bala's'. The miniature cero technique his opponent had used earlier in their duel.

"Oh fuck..." he managed to curse before they all descended on him.

* * *

"Um...Lieutenant Kotetsu?" a medic of the 4th division spoke up somberly.

Isane turned from where she was issuing orders to the room. "Yes Sayori, what is it?" she asked with urgency.

"8th seat Ogidō went out to do field healing for the 13th division but we just got word that he never made it there... Do you think he's okay?" she questioned fearfully.

Isane's mouth formed into a thin line. Many in her division had yet to experience the death of a colleague. The medical corps often became the home of those who were spiritually powerful but too softhearted for combat themselves. For those newer members who were accustomed to only patching up cuts or the occasional busted rib today was going to be one hellish awakening. "Look Sayori..."

"Clear out the secondary storage room! We have more wounded incoming! 90 seconds!" The 3rd officer of the medical division, Yasochika Lemura commanded to a small group of medics who had just freed up.

The shout of her subordinate knocked Isane roughly back into reality. "Sayori we don't have time to worry about that kind of stuff right now. Go help them clear out that storage room and prepare some cots for the wounded!"

"Oh...ok." Sayori muttered meekly before running off to do as her lieutenant ordered.

Isane's attention was then grabbed by a soldier in the nearest bed gasping awake in a panic. His first moment of consciousness since being brought in.

"Shhh. Shhh you're ok now. You're at the 4th division. You're safe here." Isane said comfortingly as she rushed to the bedside.

"Where's...Captain...Unohana?" the wounded man rasped out. His one remaining eye glistening with agony.

"Just rest. She'll be back soon." Isane replied soothingly as she filled a syringe with a sedative. "She's out there fighting to save as many as possible."

"But...but if she's out there...who's protecting us...here?" he asked frightened before Isane injected the drug and he slipped back into blissful unconsciousness.

"Don't worry. We're perfectly safe here."

Meanwhile on the outside of the 4th divisions headquarters an Arrancar sonido'd into existence and hung menacingly overhead.

"Well well well. Would you look at what we have here?" Virotto Nuenir, the 51st Arrancar said to himself. "All these poor wittle shinigami's all wounded and snug as a bug in their beds. I know Lord Kurosaki said to ignore the wounded and focus on the mission buuuuuut..." he said chipperly as a ball of burnt orange energy built up in his hand. "...one teensy weensy little cero shouldn't hurt right?"

He unleashed the blast of destructive energy, almost giddy with anticipation as it approached the hospital. Before the cero could reach it's target though, a sea of pink flower petals sprung into being and erected a barrier to catch the attack.

Virotto's excitement evaporated instantly as Byakuya Kuchiki exited the main entrance, his arm still in a sling from the self-imposed mangling from his fight in Hueco Mundo.

"This is a place of healing. You will not be harming anyone here today Arrancar." The Captain proclaimed as he closed his good hand into a tight fist. "Begone."

Following their wielders command the petals of Senbonzakura quickly enclosed over the offending Arrancar and muffled the hollows screams.

* * *

"Lucky! Lucky! Luc-Luc-Luc-Luc-Luc-Lucky!" Ikkaku Madarame chanted as he performed his famous 'Lucky Dance'. Celebrating having found such a worthy opponent.

"YEEEAAHHH! I'm gonna hit ya! I'm gonna kick ya! I'm gonna kill ya!" Abirama Redder shouted just as fervently for his pre-battle ritual.

"Luc-Luc-Luc-LUCK!" Ikkaku said striking a pose. "Luc-Luc-Luc-LUCK!" he said striking the same pose but in reverse.

"Who is the greatest of my Lord's fracción? IT'S ME! Who is the most loyal of my Lord's fracción? I AM!" Abirama yelled proudly.

"Oh my god there's two of them." Yumichika sighed out morosely from the sidelines.

* * *

Shawlong Koufang stared down blankly at the charred corpse of his friend Di Roy. His skin blistered and raw from the kidō burns his killer had left on him. There was a time when they were nothing but casual companions. Just two travelers in Gimmjow's pack. But lately, their acquaintanceship...their friendship... _'I should have been here.'_ Shawlong thought regretfully.

"Command, when you're free I'd like a moment." he said emotionless into his earpiece.

' _Go ahead Shawlong.'_ replied the voice of Szayel's second assistant.

"Who was Di Roy engaged in combat with last time he checked in?"

' _Lord Aizen's old adjutant Momo Hinamori. He was advised not to-'_

"Her current location?" Shawlong interrupted.

There was a brief moment of silence. ' _We have reports of her to the south of you but you shouldn't-'_

"Thank you." he replied before muting his communicator.

Shawlong let out a long slow breath as he drew his sword.

 _ **"** **Snip, Tijereta."**_

Pale yellow reiatsu briefly enveloped Shawlong. When the light dimmed away it revealed a white exoskeleton covering his upper torso. His arms now ended in long bony claws and his ponytail had transformed into a deadly spiked appendage.

With that, he kicked of the ground and headed south.

* * *

Blood and spittle sputtered out of Lieutenant Ōmaeda's mouth as Ggio Vega's leg sunk deep into his stomach. In the back of his mind the shinigami officer recognized the feeling of yet another rib cracking but such worries were placed on the back-burner for the moment. The 15th Arrancar's blow had sent the heavyset man rocketing towards the titanic fist of his second opponent.

Choe Neng Poww. The 14th Arrancar.

Poww's fist slammed down onto Ōmaeda's torso breaking that already cracked rip and doing not insignificant damage to the rest of his midsection. The Lieutenant plummeted towards the earth below at frightening speed and a plume of debris shot upwards from the impact of his landing.

"You better not be dead yet Shinigami!" Ggio taunted arrogantly from above. "You're the first one we've come across who can actually take one of Poww's punches. We've still got a lot of playtime ahead of us before you're allowed to die!"

Ōmaeda groaned weakly from inside the small crater. _'_ _Why? Why do I have to fight two of them at once?'_

* * *

Captain Hitsugaya cracked a tiny smile to himself as the ice dragon collided with it's target and exploded into a jagged crystalline structure, effectively trapping and killing the Arrancar within. His third kill of the day. Not including all of those 'Calaveras' as one of the other two Arrancar had called them.

Satisfied with his work, he tried calling for Matsumoto on his communicator again. Honestly, where had that woman disappeared to? He knew they never should have separated to cover more ground.

Tōshirō's eyes widened imperceptibly and he gave a half glance backwards when a spike of hollow reiatsu appeared from inside his icy prison.

 _ **"** **Awaken, Volcanica!"**_ a muffled voice cried out.

The great crystal of ice faltered and splintered as a raging inferno erupted from within. Geysers of flame punctured to the outside of the frozen construct and soon the cathedral of ice crumbled away revealing a panting and somewhat panic-stricken Edrad Liones hovering in the air.

"A Fire based Resurrección?" Captain Hitsugaya questioned without any worry. "That seems useful. The other two Arrancar I came across had no way to counter Hyōrinmaru."

"Don't...underestimate me...shinigami." Edrad said through labored breathing. "I'm one of...Hueco Mundo's elite...the 22nd Arrancar, Edrad Liones!" The Arrancar tried to boast. Both trying and failing to hide just how close he had come to death a few seconds ago.

' _Edrad. You have to last two more minutes. Dordoni and some others are en route to reinforce you. Just hang on.'_ A voice ordered in his ear.

Edrad watched as another ice dragon sprung from the captains blade and descended on him with a much quicker speed than the casual pace of its predecessors. It's frozen jaws opening wide to swallow him whole.

The Arrancar clenched his fists tightly and a coating of flame sparked into being around his arms. With a primal roar Edrad thrust his hands outward, unleashing the torrential fires against the heavenly serpent.

The two collided and for a moment it appeared to be a standstill. That the two attacks were evenly matched. But then, slowly but surely, the fires were pushed back and the ice dragon continued to creep closer.

' _You know...'_ Edrad thought. 'S _omething tells me...that's one order...I won't be able to follow.'_

* * *

' _Lord Kurosaki! Nakeem's located him! Kurotsuchi was inspecting an old lab of Aizen's hidden beneath the 5_ _th_ _divisions barracks when the fighting started.'_ Szayel's voice came in Ichigo's ear.

"Chad! We've got him! Let's go kill that fucking clown!" Ichigo shouted to his best friend.

Just as the duo were about to speed away towards the 5th division, a figure shunpo'd in front of them, cutting the two off. His eyes were hidden under his signature straw hat and his pink kimono fluttered lightly in the wind.

"I've found you..." Shunsui Kyōraku spoke. "And it seems I'm the first one here..."

Ichigo raised his reiatsu in anger, furious over the possible delay. With a calming hand on his friends shoulder Chad gently moved Ichigo behind him to stand between the two.

"Go to Kurotsuchi. I'll handle this."

Ichigo glanced between his friend and the enemy for a moment before replying with a quick nod. A quick dash of high-speed movement later and The Lord of Las Noches was racing across the sky.

Shunsui drew his swords and made to give chase but instead was forced to block a powerful punch from Sado's now white and red left arm.

"Well you've certainly gotten better." the captain intoned humorlessly.

"You have no idea. This isn't going to be anything like last time." Chad said as his right arm formed into a great black and magenta shield. "This...is round two."


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: Do you guys think I should up the rating of this story from 'T' to 'M'? I feel like I'm straddling that line sometimes.**

* * *

 **Chapter 31**

 **Soul Society, Seireitei**

"Get out of my way!" Jūshirō Ukitake yelled. "Please! My men are dying out there!"

The shinigami captain tried to shunpo away again but was for the seventh time cut off by the strange Arrancar and his quicker sonido.

Coyote Stark scratched the scruff of his neck looking sufficiently annoyed. "You know I can't do that." he drawled out lazily. "Special orders. Ichigo asked me to 'sit on you.' Keep you out of trouble. I don't really like to fight if I can avoid it so this suits me fine."

"Why would Ichigo Kurosaki care about my safety!" Ukitake demanded. "In case you've forgotten he just invaded my home with an army!"

The Primera shrugged. "Something about a 'courtesy to Rukia's memory' and that Urahara guy vouching for you. To be honest I was only partially listening when he asked me to do this."

The captain of the 13th division was officially running out of patience. "If you don't let me pass then I will have to use force!" Ukitake threatened as he brandished his blade.

"You really don't want to do that Mr. Captain." Lilynette piped up from her spot on a nearby building. The young girl was sitting over the edge and kicking her legs up and down like a child. "Stark's the 1st Espada. The strongest Arrancar in existence. Period. Taking us on alone is suicide. Even for a captain."

Jūshirō listened to the girl and then looked at Stark incredulously. " _This_ is the 1st Espada?" he questioned in disbelief.

Stark gave no response outside of popping a crick in his neck. He hoped the order to retreat came soon.

* * *

Yylfordt Granz stared down in horror at the golden needle stabbing him in his chest. "No...no no no..." he stammered out in terror. This...this wasn't fair. He didn't even know he was in combat. The captain came out of nowhere!

 _ **"** **Nigeki Kessatsu."**_ Suì-Fēng intoned calmly. "Death in two stings."

Grimmjow's fracción backed up almost tripping over himself as he felt the poison spread throughout his body. With a shaking hand he reached down and tried to draw his blade. _**"**_ _ **Im-Impale, D-Del Toro…"**_

"Sorry. Not even your Resurreccìon is going to save you from Suzumebachi's sting. You and your ilk never should have come here Arrancar."

Yylfordt's transformation failed to start and the Arrancar's eyes went wide as he realized he had just a few seconds left. "Save me...somebody...I don't...want to-"

The captain of the 2nd division held back a snort at the hollows last words as the light left his eyes and his body summarily fell to the ground below.

With yet another kill under her belt Suì-Fēng moved on to the next highest reiatsu she could sense nearby. _'_ _Maybe this time it'll actually be a challenge.'_

* * *

Claws met sword and the nearest wall exploded from the pressure. Blow after blow, attack after attack, each clash changed the landscape of the city as the two fought at full strength and got farther and farther away from where their battle had started.

Kenpachi laughed maniacally as he lost sight of his discarded eyepatch in the rubble. "Yes! Yes! This is the best fight I've had in months! Are all you Espada this impressive?"

"You won't live long enough to find out!" Grimmjow roared out. _**"Garra de la Pantera!"**_

Kenpachi never lost his crazed smile as the crystalline projectiles approached him at ferocious speed. A just as quick double slash of his sword destroyed the first two, the third missed all on its own, and the fourth tore into his shoulder sending the captain flying into the nearest building from the impact.

The 6th Espada didn't relent, that attack would've killed a normal opponent but Zaraki Kenpachi had already demonstrated he'd just get back up and ask for more. Grimmjow ran a hand over his blood soaked arm, painting the palm red. He thrust his hand forward and started building up a sphere of jagged unstable blue energy. He'd only performed 'The King's Cero' in his Resurrección on a single other occasion.

Kenpachi exploded out of the rubble and flew through the air like a man possessed. None of his numerous and still bleeding wounds seemingly bothering him.

 _ **"** **GRAN...REY...CERO!"**_

Zaraki swung his blade right down the middle of the blast perfectly bisecting it. The two halves of the destructive energy passing him by like a parted sea as his sword vibrated from the strain of it's assigned task. Just as the attack was reaching it's conclusion and Kenpachi was about to pull his blade back he felt the Arrancar's presence above him. He looked up just in time to see Grimmjow finish building another jagged ball of energy.

' _A second one!_ ' Kenpachi thought in alarm before the energy released and consumed them both.

The blast could be seen for miles around, a blue dome that would've caught the attention of everyone in Seireitei had they not been busy with their own life or death fights. Even those in Rukongai could catch a glimpse of it peaking over Seireitei's walls.

When the light finally dispersed it revealed both combatants still standing. Grimmjow a bit scorched and Zaraki looking oddly contemplative.

The 11th captain looked over his plentiful wounds as if finally recognizing they were there. "That was a pretty good move." he complimented. "Hitting yourself just to make sure I took most of it." _'_ _If we keep going like this I really will end up dying...'_ he added only in his mind.

"Thanks. You're not...so bad yourself...shinigami. I really thought...that one would...put you down." Grimmjow replied through a few heavy pants.

Kenpachi grinned. "What do you say to one final round? The best we got, all or nothing."

Grimmjow matched his expression. "You're on shinigami. No regrets when you die."

The 6th Espada's fingertips each glowed a blinding blue for a moment before Grimmjow pulled down sharply like he was ripping the air itself. 10 long blue blades of energy sprouted from his claws and reached up into the sky. _**"Desgarrón."**_ he announced calmly. "My strongest technique."

Kenpachi steadied his breathing and shifted his feet into a proper kendo stance. For the first time in many years he placed both hands on his swords hilt and held his blade high. "Come."

The two stood silently for a moment. Both knowing this would be the final clash.

"I...will be the King." Grimmjow said softly before dashing at a speed he'd never reached before. His sonido responding to his resolve and evolving in real time.

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez swiped his claws. Zaraki Kenpachi brought his sword down.

The entire street exploded.

...

...

...

In the aftermath there was silence. There were no more taunts or threats or quips. There was no boasting or bragging or parting lines.

There was just Zaraki Kenpachi bleeding from massive wounds on his chest. Losing so much blood that even _he_ had to drop to one knee.

And there was Grimmjow Jagerjaquez dead on the ground.

Kenpachi pushed off the ground with his sword and slowly rose back to both feet. Through pained grunts he started shuffling out of the crater that didn't exist just a half minute ago. It was going to be quite the long walk back to where they had left Yachiru. If he was lucky he might find a medic along the way to patch him up.

"I'm impressed." a new voice announced.

Zaraki's eyes widened as a veritable ocean of reiatsu crashed down on him. His head shot upwards in alarm to see a pale skinned Arrancar with dark green eyes hovering overhead.

"You should be proud Zaraki Kenpachi. To defeat such a formidable member of the Espada is a remarkable achievement. In respect of that achievement I will use my Resurrección from the beginning."

Ulquiorra Cifer held his zanpakutō in front of him and pointed it directly at Kenpachi.

 _ **"** **Enclose, Murciélago"**_

* * *

Luppi Antenor slammed one of his eight tentacles down on his target, desperately trying to crush his foe. However just like the last two times all he got for his trouble was a severed appendage.

"This is impossible!" the newest member of the Espada objected as blood gushed out by the gallon. "You can't be this strong! Lord Aizen's records didn't have you anywhere close to this level of power! You're supposed to be a FUCKING MEDIC!" he roared as the rest of his tentacles descended on her.

' _How? How could this happen?'_ Luppi asked himself. He was on top of the world a minute ago. Slaughtering shinigami by the dozens. Foot soldiers and officers alike. The exquisite screams he got while ripping apart that 4th officer for wounding him with a lucky shot were orgasmic to Luppi's ears. And he meant that. The 10th Espada was close to cumming as he reveled in the sick devastation.

Then it all came crashing down when _she_ showed up.

Captain Unohana cut down the rest of Luppi's tentacles with only two swings of her sword. A single step of shunpo placed her directly in front of the 10th Espada's frightened face. Her demeanor was haunted, demonic, and looked absolutely nothing like the gentle profile pictured in Aizen's files back in Las Noches.

"You don't know anything about what I am." Unohana said so softly you couldn't be sure she had spoken at all.

Luppi Antenor screamed.

* * *

Nirgge Parduoc slid open the door of the 9th division barracks and looked around. Deserted. Just like the rest of the main compound. It wasn't really a surprise. It would make sense that everyone would be out fighting.

' _Still. They have to be around here somewhere.'_

Nirgge closed his eyes and activated his Pesquisa. The reiatsu pulse spread out and every spiritual signature in a three mile radius pinged back to him like blips on a radar. Hundreds of signatures overwhelmed his senses and one hand shot up to grasp his head from the sudden overload of feedback. _'Oh yeah. Now I remember why I wasn't doing that before.'_

Regardless of his new headache though his plan had worked. There were two tiny reiatsu blips coming from about 40 meters to his east. Nirgge walked down the long hallway that led to the officers quarters, attempting to be as soft footed as possible on the creaky wooden floor. After a few moments he came upon a door with an amateur level kidō barrier blocking entrance.

Nirgge smirked and shattered the orange barrier with a single punch. It may have been sufficient enough to keep out a Calaveras had they come across it but it was nowhere close to keeping out someone like him. The 27th Arrancar slid open the wooden door and knew he was in the right place. It was clear from the twin beds and various items strewn across the room that this is where Lord Kurosaki's sisters were staying. Not only that he could hear two voices muttering from inside the closet.

"Alright. Come on out. We don't need to make a big fuss." Nirgge said as he approached the closet door.

His only response was more muttering.

Nirgge sighed and reached his hand out to open the closet. "Look. I was sent here to find you by your broth-"

 _ **"** **-the wrath of your claws!"**_ Yuzu and Karin finished chanting in unison just as the door was wrenched open. _**"**_ _ **Hadō**_ _ **#33: Sōkatsui!"**_ they both yelled with hands thrust forward.

Twin balls of blue fire exploded onto Nirgge's face sending him crashing onto his back with both hands clutching his face in pain. "Goddamn it! You little shits!" his muffled voice screamed out through his palms.

"Come on Yuzu! We gotta go!" Karin yelled as she pulled her sister along by the wrist.

"Wah! Karin! It barely hurt him at all!" Yuzu cried out in fear as they ran to the door.

"Yeah I noticed! Dad was right, these Arrancar really are tough bastards!" Nirgge heard Karin reply as they raced from the room and slammed the door shut behind them.

Nirgge hopped to his feet, brushed away the little bit of blue fire lingering on his shoulder, and barreled through the screen door like a charging elephant.

 _ **"** **Bakudō**_ _ **#21: Sekienton!"**_ Yuzu's hi pitched voice came from the end of the hallway along with a wave of thick red smoke.

Nirgge pounded a hand on his chest as he fell into a coughing fit from the gas. His eyes began to water and his nose burned as he inadvertently breathed some in.

' _YOU STUPID_ _KIDS I'M ON YOUR SIDE!'_ he internally screamed.

Meanwhile Yuzu and Karin jumped out into the courtyard and began racing across it. "Damn it. Where's goat face when you need him? He'd turn this asshole into mincemeat in three seconds flat!" Karin cursed. "Yuzu! What's the best binding spell you can do?" she questioned with a shout.

"Umm..b-bakudō #43 but I d-don't have the chant m-memorized yet." Yuzu replied with tears in the corner of her eyes. Her wavering voice showing clearly how completely terrified she was. "K-Karin what if...what if it's not good enough to stop him? What if he's going to k-k-kill us?"

"That ain't gonna happen Yuzu!" Karin replied resolutely. "I only need you to stop him for a second or two and then I'll get him with my shikai." she said as she gripped her asauchi tightly.

"Y-you f-figured out your shikai?" Yuzu asked with a little hope returning to her frail voice.

"N-not exactly." Karin said a little embarrassed. "But I'm close. I know it! Don't worry about me Yuzu! I won't let you dow-"

Nirgge Parduoc appeared two feet in front of them with a buzz of sonido.

"Eh..." Yuzu muttered in surprise as she craned her neck up to look at the Arrancar. The very very displeased Arrancar. _**"Ba-Ba-Bakudō #43: H-"**_

The full force of Nirgge's reiatsu slammed into Yuzu and the air increased in weight a hundred fold. Yuzu's eyes widened before losing all focus and the young girl passed out.

"YOU BASTARD!" Karin cried out as she banged her asauchi uselessly against Nirgge's hierro hardened skin. The Arrancar gave her a few seconds to get it out of her system before performing the same trick again. Karin managed to last a little longer than her sister but she too eventually slipped into unconsciousness.

Nirgge let out a sigh as he flipped both unconscious girls over his shoulder and then raised a hand to his earpiece. "Command. This is Nirgge. I've got the sisters and am returning to Las Noches." he reported before ripping open a garganta.

* * *

Lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi's vision began to swim as he slowly ran out of oxygen. One hand was desperately trying to rip himself free of the Espada's grip around his neck while the other struggled to raise what remained of Kazeshini higher. His feet kicked about in the air as the Arrancar held him up with ease.

"You said you were the lieutenant of the 9th division yes?" Harribel asked politely as she loosened her hold slightly. Juts enough to let him speak.

The beaten and battered Hisagi started breathing in what air he could from the small reprieve. His face turned a few shades healthier and he managed to weakly rasp out "...yes."

"The 9th is where Ichigo's family was placed. It is possible they will be upset if you died. As a courtesy to them I will allow you to live." The Espada intoned before tossing him onto the ground like a piece of trash.

Hisagi started taking in huge gulps of air from where he lay. His shattered shikai glowed for a moment before returning to its sheath on its wielders hip. With so many bones broken the lieutenant knew that he wasn't going anywhere until someone from the 4th came and found him.

With the interloper now dealt with Harribel returned to her fracción who were just a small sonido dash away.

Chōjirō Sasakibe screamed his lungs out as the massive chimeric hollow squeezed him harder. He could literally feel himself being slowly crushed to death. "B-Bank-ARRGGHHH" he screamed as the beast tightened its grip even further.

"Nuh uh uh." Emilou Appaci taunted with a wiggle of her finger. "No bankai for you. Our pet Ayon is pretty indestructible but we're not taking any chances."

On the sidelines Sung-Sun giggled behind her sleeve and Mila Rose smirked arrogantly. All three were clad in their Resurreccións and each had temporarily sacrificed their left arm to summon the monstrosity currently squeezing the life out of the 1st divisions lieutenant.

"If you weren't taking any chances then you would know not to play with your food girls." Harribel chastised as she reappeared alongside them. "Finish him and lets move on."

"Y-yes mistress Harribel." the three said a bit meekly.

Appaci looked down from her spot above Ayon to give the kill order when she realized Sasakibe had already stopped moving. "Hey girls." she called to the other three. "I think this guy's already dead."

"Make sure Appaci." Harribel ordered. "We aren't leaving anything to chance tod-"

Ayon's fingers suddenly exploded into a shower of blood, freeing the lieutenant from its clutches. Sasakibe's limp body plummeted to the ground below, his fate of being either dead or unconscious still a mystery where a nondescript shinigami was waiting to catch him.

Before anyone could question what happened Ayon was split in half straight down the middle and both halves exploded into pillars of flames.

"Wait! What the hel-" Appaci managed to say before the exact same fate befell her and she died instantly.

Floating in the air where a moment ago Ayon had stood was Captain commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.

He did not look amused.

"GIRLS! RUN!" Harribel screamed as she drew her sword and immediately charged. _**"**_ _ **HUNT, TIBURÓN!"**_


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: This story has been dead for awhile now.**

 **No one probably remembers it.**

 **Maybe if I post this, I can muster the energy to finish it and finally mark the story 'complete'. One of the endings I considered is only a few chapters away.**

* * *

 **Chapter 32**

 **Soul Society, Seireitei**

Chad disconnected from another clash with Kyōraku and jumped back to gain some distance. The empowered human couldn't stop the frown from deepening on his face. Even though he was performing astoundingly better than he had in their first encounter all those months ago, there was still one thing that was undoubtedly the same.

His opponent wasn't taking him seriously.

Chad's right arm had evolved twice since that fight. Transforming from it's initial form into a terrifying shield with horrific hollow features. Then shortly after that, he unlocked the abilities of his left arm. A devastating offensive power that could defeat weaker opponents with a single blow. With each power up came a significant boost to his reiatsu and in turn his confidence.

Yet apparently none of it was good enough to get Shunsui Kyōraku to even release his swords.

Chad knew he still had a card hidden. The transformation he had obtained in his battle against Tōsen. If he brought his full power to bare then he was sure the captain would at the very minimum stop goofing around. But where would they go from there? If Chad had to go to such lengths just to make his opponent activate a shikai then he was destined to lose the fight in the end.

' _I finally understand why Szayel ranked this man in Soul Society's top three.'_ the silent giant thought to himself.

"Help me understand something." Shunsui said out of the blue. His zanpakutō hanging casually at his side. "When you and Ichigo Kurosaki first came here to save Rukia, I thought your goal was admirable. For a small group of not even 10 to go against the entirety of Seireitei just to save a friend? It just may have been the most awe-inspiring thing I've ever seen. Even though I did my duty as a captain and stopped you, your actions left a profound impact on me. So much so that it convinced Ukitake and I to go through with our own plan to save the girl. We had a special artifact prepared that would have destroyed the Sōkyoku...but as fate would have it we were just one minute late."

The captain of squad 8 tilted his head up and looked at the sky from underneath his straw hat. "...just sixty-three seconds late. I think about that day a lot..." he whispered just barely audible before shaking his head.

"The point I'm trying to arrive at was that the last time we met, you struck me as a good man. A decent man. A man who deliberately avoided causing casualties when others tried to cut him down. So help me understand Yasutora Sado. Where did that man go? Why has he and Ichigo Kurosaki brought THIS to Soul Society?" Kyōraku demanded with a large gesture to the death, destruction, and indiscriminate carnage happening on the ground below. "If Rukia and your friends were still here they would be disgusted with you."

Chad looked down at Seireitei below him. Buildings were burning. Kidō was still sparking. Little specs dotted the earth that Chad logically recognized were corpses. The overwhelming majority of whom were completely innocent in the events that led to today.

"You think I wanted this?" Chad murmured in a broken voice. "You think I wanted this to happen?" he questioned just a little bit louder.

"I! HATE! THIS!" he suddenly roared. "I hate that this is happening! I hate what my best friend is turning into! I hate what he's doing here today! IT MAKES ME FUCKING SICK!" he bellowed from the top of his lungs. "When we joined Aizen it was because we had no choice...not really… and when Ichigo gained the throne I thought it would be smooth days ahead..." Chad forced out as his voice became more and more regretful. "When we spoke about war it was only supposed to be hypothetical. I never thought we'd actually end up here. All this death! This pointless killing! It's not going to solve ANYTHING!"

For a moment silence reigned. All the energy seemed to have left Chad's body and Kyōraku looked at him confused. "Then why did you follow him?" the captain eventually asked.

"He's all I've got..." Chad whispered out. "Ichigo and Neliel and Mila-Rose and all the others. If I don't stand with them then I have nothing…I'd be...nothing." By the end of his sentence tears could be spotted in the corner of the mans eye.

Kyōraku audibly sighed and sheathed his blades. "Go home Yasutora Sado. Go back to the human realm and just...start a new life. A new town with new faces and new friends and….no more thoughts of war. Never return to Soul Society and I personally promise that Soul Society will leave you be."

The 8th division captain approached Chad slowly and clasped him gently on the shoulder. "You're a good man Sado. Go live a good life. A life that Orihime Inoue and Uryū Ishida would be proud of." he said with a tiny smile before moving to pass Chad by.

He was stopped by one of the humans hands grasping his arm tightly. "...are you going after Ichigo?" Chad asked quietly.

The captains eyes flicked back over to the man holding him. "You already know the answer is yes."

Chad swallowed thickly. "I won't deny...there's a part of me that agrees with you. Just leave it all behind...disappear. I could even go back to Mexico. It would be so so easy..."

Shunsui's eyebrows rose when the boy's reiatsu suddenly spiked tremendously. The wind picked up and his straw hat was blown away by the force.

"But I made a promise..." Chad continued as armor plating began to cover his torso and neck. "...I swore to Ichigo th _ **at I'm with him**_..." his voice began to distort as the armor covered his face and formed a devilish mask.

Shunsui broke himself out of the hold and immediately released his twin blades to their shikai state.

 _ **"...TO THE END!"**_

* * *

Isshin's mind was scattered. Scattered with worry over his daughters staying hidden. With worry for Ichigo as he scoured the battlefields for signs of his son. With worry for all the men and women under his command sending out distress calls. His thoughts were so divided over his various worries that he barely even registered cutting down three more Calaveras as his hands moved on auto-pilot.

Isshin frantically stretched his senses out again. Trying desperately to single out Ichigo's reiatsu in the giant cacophonous mess of spirit energy being thrown about. Not that he actually knew what his son's energy felt like these days. He was praying to god he would simply know it when he felt it.

His concentration faltered once again when his denreishinki beeped with yet another distress call. This one sent from his 3rd seat to the captain's communicator alone. It's message a simple one. _'_ _Espada. Help.'_

Isshin cursed under his breath as he turned on his heel and rushed to the location the message was sent from. Ever since the invasion started he'd just been bouncing from one crisis to the next.

A few jumps of his quickest shunpo later and he landed atop a building overlooking a square. At least a dozen shinigami lay unconscious, strewn across the tile floor, whilst his 3rd seat was tied up with a pair of Arrancar posted behind him. One of which was holding it's blade dangerously close to the mans jugular.

"Captain!" The captured officer screamed in a panic. "It's a trap! They took my communi-" he managed to get out before one of his jailors clubbed him across the back of the head.

"Yes!" A melodic voice celebrated from behind Isshin, causing the captain to turn. "I knew this plan would work! I should've had this idea before I wasted all that time looking for you."

Isshin's expression grew slightly as he recognized the vision before him. Tall, green hair, and a curvaceousness that even his late wife would be jealous of. _'_ _That's the Arrancar who was in the pictures with Ichigo...'_

"You must be Isshin. It's so nice to finally meet you!" Neliel spouted cheerfully as she approached with a smile and an extended hand. "I'm Neliel, the 4th Espada. Ichigo's told me so much about you and his sisters! He really opens up right after sex. Just last week he told me the story where you all got food poisoning on Christmas!. I laughed so hard I accidentally kicked him out of bed!"

Isshin's brain officially stopped working.

He stood rooted in place, frozen like a statue as his mind attempted to reboot itself. His eyes blinking dumbly at the offered handshake in front of him.

Neliel cocked her head slightly in confusion at the mans lack of reaction before the captain suddenly came alive and she found herself swept up into a hug.

"MY SON HAS BECOME A MAN! I'M SO HAPPY!" he bellowed, picking up his new daughter and spinning her around in the air, seemingly forgetting completely about the war going on around him.

And then in a change just as quick, Isshin set her back down and returned to deadly seriousness. "Please. Do you know where my son is? I have to find him before Yamamoto does."

Neliel signaled for her Fracción to release their captive and return to her side. "Ichigo will be fine." She reassured with a smile. "You however should return with me to Las Noches."

The black maw of the garganta opened behind her and the Espada stepped inside. "We've already secured Karin and Yuzu and I bet my new sisters are going to be terrified when they wake up. It'll be good for their father to be there when they do."

* * *

Byakuya Kuchiki stood sentry outside the main hospital of the 4th division, pink petals swirling around him in a defensive matrix ready to shred any opponent that dared come into range.

There hadn't been much activity ever since he announced his presence. It would seem that the enemy army was actively avoidi- ' _MOVE!'_ His senses flared.

Simultaneously the captain leapt away as thousands of flower petals launched themselves into the sky to intercept the black _thing_ that was about to crash down with all the subtlety of a meteor.

"BYAKUYAAA!" Kaname Tōsen roared, barreling through the storm of swords with claws outstretched to grasp where the captain had been just a few milliseconds ago.

"Tōsen..." Byakuya breathed out as he regarded the human jawline attached to the insectoid behemoth before him. "What in gods name have you done to yourself?"

"Do you like it?" The creature asked as the tiny cuts and scrapes from senbonzakura healed over. "Do you see what I have sacrificed? What I have gained? No matter. You will tell me where they are! Then after I've slaughtered them all, we can have a match of our own!"

Senbonzakura returned to it's masters side and coiled protectively around him. "What madness are you talking about?" Byakuya questioned as one petal shifted into a blade in his grip.

"THE NOOOOOBLES!" Tōsen wailed, as though the very words caused him agony. "Their manors are empty! The grounds abandoned! I will not rest until I've butchered them all! They are a cancer on the world and I WILL BE THE CURE!" he shouted with an almost religious fervor. An elongated black claw stretched out and pointed at the shinigami. "You belong to one of the four great houses, you must know where they're hiding. Burrowed away like the rats they are. You will tell me..."

"It is a sad thing that you have become." Byakuya replied slightly solemn. "Before Aizen's rebellion you were one of only a handful of shinigami I respected. To see you reduced to such a wretched creature is truly tragic."

Tōsen snarled. "Don't be difficult Byakuya….you don't need to shorten what little time you have left."

Byakuya turned his sword over and held it loft above the ground. "In memory of the man you once were, I will end this quickly." Byakuya released his grip and let the blade seep into the ground. _**"**_ _ **Ban-Kai."**_

As 10,000 flower petals multiplied by a factor of 100, Tōsen's wings buzzed and the ex-captain rushed forward with claws outstretched.

And so another legendary battle of the war began.

* * *

Dust and light debris fell from the ceilings as the entire hospital trembled. Soldiers barely strong enough to stand slipped and lost their footing as the building shook. A medical cart of clear beakers was knocked over sending shattered glass across the floor.

The battle outside had been raging for over 15 minutes now. The air had become saturated with the suffocating pressure of two captain-class reiatsu's seething against each other. The first was an aura of iron, of pure will and determination and yet came with a sense of serene protectiveness. The second could not be any more different. It was _choking_. A pungent miasma of hatred that made the air bitter enough to gag on.

Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu pulled a frightened and shaking medic into her embrace as the entire structure continued to rattle. "It's okay...it's okay...we're all going to be fine..." Isane whispered softly to the trembling girl in her arms.

"B-but but..." The girl protested through some small sobs. "Captain Kuchiki's still wounded and the other reiatsu is so _vile_ it's so _wrong_ and..."

Isane just continued to rub circles into her back. "I know...I know. Just have a little faith."

* * *

"HIYYAH!" Tōsen shrieked as twin lime-green ceros launched from his eyes.

Byakuya seemingly glided across the ground as he weaved between the destructive energies. _**"**_ _ **Bakudō #61: Rikujōkōrō."**_

Six triangles of light slammed into Tōsen's midsection momentarily freezing him. Without missing a beat, two of his arms swiped downward and effortlessly shattered the inconveniences…only for a tsunami of flower petals to consume him a half second later.

Byakuya took a half second to exhale and then immediately dodged as Tōsen flew out of his pink prison at an absolutely _ludicrous_ speed. A crater spread out onto the ground from two black claws crushing the spot where Byakuya had stood not a moment ago.

The captain winced slightly as he noticed the wound on his leg where the beast had nicked him. Unfortunately, when fighting an opponent whose fingers were the size of your sword a simple 'nick' was akin to be slashed by a dagger.

Byakuya internally quirked his brow as he spotted Tōsen through the pink haze. The shiningami-hollow hybrid was sketching ethereal green circles into the air with all four of his hands. As the emerald rings solidified a soft yet sharp pitch filled the air.

" _ **Los Nueve Aspectos."**_

Years of battle instinct screamed their order to shield. _**"**_ _ **Bakudō #81: Dankū!**_

It saved his life.

The Dankū, one of the most powerful defensive kidō's in existence, _shattered_ like a plane of bent glass when the concussive wave barreled into it. A significantly weakened portion, but a portion nonetheless, of the technique sped onward unimpeded and plowed into Byakuya's torso with the strength of a freight truck.

Blood and spittle flew out of the nobleman's mouth as he was forcibly launched into the air and crashed into the side of the only nearby wall that hadn't been reduced to a pile of ruin.

Before gravity even had time to take effect Tōsen was already on the move. Byakuya grunted as the monsters hand slammed into him and pinned him helplessly against the wall.

" _ **Byakurai!"**_

Tōsen held back the urge to howl in anguish as the white lightning spell fried his left eye, choosing instead to reach out with one of his extra limbs and snapped the bones in the captains arm.

Byakuya sucked in a breath between his teeth and shut his eyes but he did not scream; he would never scream for this _thing!_

Senbonzakura swept over his partners enemy like a hurricane, a maelstrom of blades slicing and cutting in an attempt to free it's wielder.

Tōsen **ignored** it. Through a combination of hierro, high-speed regeneration, and pushing out his own reiatsu as a barrier he simply ignored the onslaught.

Slowly, methodically, he raised yet another of his hands and held his palm out laterally towards the hospital a few hundred meters away.

A jagged malevolent cero coalesced into creation. The hollow energies mixed and swarmed with the blood on his palm to create an unholy mass. The King's Cero.

"Return your sword...or I will reduce them all to _ash_."

Byakuya stared back spitefully. A rare emotion on his usual calm demeanor. If anything, Senbonzakura actually sped up at the demand. Slashing and tearing away at Tōsen in a possessed fury.

Blood spurted from wounds, it coursed down his black fur in small rivers but Tōsen gave no reaction, merely continuing to stare Byakuya in the eyes.

"You have five seconds."

Byakuya _glared_. He hadn't glared at anyone since he was a child, the Kuchiki's had forced such ugly habits out of him, but he glared at this abomination.

Senbonzakura persisted for another two seconds but then considerably slowed. The petals fluttered to the ground and lay there like a puppet with its strings cut. Byakuya's zanpakutō reappeared in it's sheath and the flowers dissolved into pink wisps of wind.

Tōsen smiled a wide grin of serrated teeth. "Very good...Now..."

Byakuya's mind was flooded with pain as his body was smashed into the ground. His vision blurred between images of the air and the tile floor as Tōsen relentlessly sought his own catharsis by pummeling the nobleman into a bloody rag doll.

Byakuya was slammed back against the wall and vaguely realized through half shut eyes that his opponent seemed back to full health. All the tiny cuts from Senbonzakura had closed and even Tosen's left eye had regenerated.

"...Tell me where the rest of the noble scum is!"

Captain Kuchiki's response was fitting for a nobleman of his stature.

He spat blood in the traitors eye.

Tōsen frowned and carefully wrapped a hand around the captains legs, and **squeezed**.

Byakuya's eyes tore open to their widest state and he _screamed_ in his throat. He staunchly refused to open his mouth but the internal scream still sounded loudly.

Tōsen released the crushed and ruin limbs and spoke again. "Tell me where the nobles-"

"P-put him d-down you m-monster!" A terrified voice cried out.

Tōsen twisted his head around slowly. Eyeing the shinigami that dared interrupt. _'_ _Some insignificant officer from the medical corps_ ' the ex-captain realized as he spotted the iconic green sash.

"Oh?" Tōsen smirked in grand amusement. His serrated teeth glinting in the light. "And what will happen if I don't?" He asked as he squeezed just a little on his captives torso, just enough to make audible the bones popping.

Hanatarō Yamada whimpered. "I'll...I'll fight you...I'll save him!" He shouted. Trying and utterly failing to sound threatening. His whole body shaking in terror as he gripped his only weapon tightly. A small scalpel with a red charge meter on the side.

A fact that Tōsen did not miss. "Fight me?" he questioned in disbelief before roaring in laughter. "HAHAHAHA -HA! That's funny! Fight me? Me? With what weapon? You don't even have a sword on you.!"

Tōsen stalked towards the medic, dragging Byakuya painfully across the stone wall as he moved. The shinigami-hollow hybrid towered over Hanataro so completely that the medic was enveloped completely by the monsters shadow.

"What is some _nobody_ medic like _you_ going to do?" Tōsen breathed out. "Cut me with your scalpel? Gee I sure hope the paper cut doesn't get infected."

Every cell in Hanatarō's body was quaking in fear. His palms were sweaty. His heart thundered in his chest. His bladder threatened to soil his uniform. The fight or flight response in his brain screeched at him to turn and run. But through it all he managed to look upward and stare in defiance at the creature.

He raised his shaking hand up and slammed the scalpel into the beasts hide, using every ounce of strength he possessed. However little that it was.

Tōsen watched in slow motion as the scalpel came down and was halted effortlessly by his hierro hardened skin. "Oh, so sorry." Tōsen mocked. "It's not even enough to-"

Hanatarō stared up at the abomination with red angry tears. _**"**_ _ **FILL, HISAGOMARU!"**_

All the pain.

All the hurt.

All the _damage_ that Hanatarō's unique zanpakutō had absorbed from treating eviscerated soldiers for the past few hours was released in a mighty torrent of crimson energy.

Even with the ability of sight to watch it happen.

Even with his reflexes so far above what they used to be.

The attack was _literally_ at point blank range. Tōsen could not even process the thought that dodging was required before the cascading wave of reiatsu had sliced him perfectly in two.

"Wh...what?" He managed to mutter as his body started to split. _'_ _What...just happened...that's... no...after everything..how can...killed by a...nobody?_ ' With that final thought in his head the two halves of Kaname Tōsen fell apart. Each one spilling out its own pool of gore and viscera.

Byakuya Kuckihi was released from the black claw that held him and he slid down onto the stone floor. His blood smearing the wall behind him as he fell.

"Captain Kuchiki!" Hanatarō yelled, rushing to the mans side. "Don't worry captain. I don't think I can save your legs but you aren't dying on me! I will save you! I swear it! I will save you!"

"...I see." Byakuya murmured. Just barely conscious enough to see the young man start pulling emergency supplies from his medical pouch. "I'll leave you to it then..." The captain whispered before finally blacking out.

* * *

The 'Mad Clown' of Soul Society flashed his trademark grin as he stood above the corpse of the 33rd Arrancar, Nakeem Grindina. "Nemu. Take the subject back to lab #3 and prepare him for dissection. Afterwards I want you to pick up a few of those hollow foot soldiers lying about. I have a few experiments in mind that require fresh subjects."

The lieutenant of the 12th bowed towards her 'father'. "Yes Master Mayuri." With a deftness appropriate for her build the slim girl hoisted the pudgy Arrancar over her shoulder and took off with a flash of shunpo.

Mayuri stood alone in the street with a finger pressed up against his chin, pondering for a moment over what his next move should be. Perhaps he should try and locate one of the fabled 'Espada'. Surely their bodies would serve as far more durable specimens then the run of the mill-

An absolutely _titanic_ reiatsu crashed down not 20 meters away pulling him abruptly out of his musings. The blue tile floor cracked and splintered from the landing and a sizable cloud of dust rushed past the stationary captain.

Ichigo Kurosaki emerged from the new crater and glared at Mayuri with ruthless eyes.

The captain of the 12th drew his sword and gestured widely with his arms. "Well if it isn't the so called 'Lord of Las Noches'." He spoke with great amusement. "I was quite honored when your demands singled me out persona-"

A clash of metal rang through the street as their blades met. Mayuri couldn't help the sweat creep up on the back of his neck. He hadn't even seen the boy move. If not for the auto-block sensor he had installed into the hilt of his zanpakutō, the attack would've sliced him to pieces.

Three parries later, before Mayuri even got the opportunity to taunt his opponent over the pointlessness of attacking directly, Ichigo simply decided to bypass the issue altogether. Immediately after the next auto-block from Mayuri's sword, Ichigo's free hand clamped down over the shinigami's wrist, yanked the arm to the side and severed the whole appendage with a single stroke.

"AAAARRRRRGGGGHH YOU LITTLE FUCKER!" Mayuri snarled as he jumped away, leaving his arm behind.

The captain slid backwards; putting more and more distance between himself and the man he had very seriously underestimated. His one remaining hand dug deep into the pockets of his uniform and pulled out a small remote. His thumb jammed down hard on the centermost button causing a bright orange light to emit from beneath the skin of his newest stump.

The detached arm, still clutching tightly to it's weapon rose up into the air before flying back to it's owner via some unknown mechanism. Ichigo was so caught off guard by the unusual sight that he didn't bother interfering.

With a disconcerting squelch the amputated limb slammed into the orange glowing stump and a bastardized version of Orihime's shield sprung to life around it; restoring everything to perfect condition in a manner of seconds.

Mayuri flexed his repaired arm a few times experimentally. "Your companions had such fascinating abilities." The captain of the 12th smiled vindictively. "I only wish I had the foresight to capture them alive. You can always learn so much more from living subjects."

Ichigo's face darkened further as he recalled a nightmare that once haunted him. He could see the images in his mind. Two corpses laying on metal slabs in some dark musky lab. Orihime -sweet sweet Orihime- who probably never had a malicious thought in her life and Ishida who probably never spoke a single sentence without some amount of snark present. The image changed and Ichigo watched as this callous pasty-skinned motherfucker before him prepared to dissect them. Study them. Violating their bodies in ways he wished he wasn't capable of imagining.

To see Orihime's shield again...to see his nightmare confirmed…

"I'm going to make it **hurt** when I kill you." Ichigo breathed out in a soft whisper.

Kurotsuchi still smiled that infuriating fucking grin as he released his shikai and adopted a combat pose. The captain had used this small reprieve to smash a capsule he kept lodged under a fake tooth. Mayuri's pupils dilated slightly as the drugs took effect. A delightful chemical concoction that allowed his senses to perceive time at approximately 1/4 speed.

It was _barely_ enough.

Because even if you can see your opponent coming, what does it matter if your body is just too slow to do anything about it?

Mayuri frantically backpedaled as Ichigo's sword endlessly beat down against Ashisogi Jizō. The auto-block sensor installed into his blade twisted and pulled on his arm like an abused puppet as it desperately shielded it's wielder. But even with that brilliant invention at work, it was solely due to his heightened senses that he wasn't dead yet. There were only milliseconds between each strike and Mayuri needed every single one of them to make the micro movements necessary to _not die_.

Then something changed. The hollow's blade wreathed itself in black flames moments before impact. Mayuri watched the zanpakutō coat itself in power and there was absolutely zero that he could do about it.

" _ **Getsuga Tensho."**_

The captain was sent screaming as Zangetsu's blaze carried him away. Every piece of skin on the front half of his body burned away and thanks to Mayuri's unique brand of self-medicating every moment of it was **magnified**.

By the time the captains body was deposited back on the ground he could feel no pain. A device installed in his brain had forcibly shut down the pain center as a means of protection.

Another orange shield deployed around his body and started to reverse whatever damage it could. Mayuri leapt to his feet and sneered at his foe who looked ready to charge in again. He raised his golden weapon in front of him, now chipped and scarred from the onslaught, and snarled. _**"**_ _ **BANKAI!"**_

A malevolent red aura surrounded the captain as his reiatsu started to rise. Ashisogi Jizō rapidly began to mutate and swell in size. Limbs sprouted, its body lengthened, and the soft ringing of chimes filled the air. _**"**_ _ **KONJIKI ASHISOGI JIZŌ!"**_

The grotesque cross between a baby and a caterpillar immediately charged, a madness clearly present in its visage. Retractable blades spurted from its chest and its cheeks puffed up as its mouth filled with toxic gas.

Ichigo merely pricked his finger and held out his palm.

" _ **Gran. Rey. Cero."**_

With his senses relaying time at 1/4 speed Mayuri got to witness every aspect of the blast that followed. The red light swallowed his bankai in its entirety. It sailed through the air creating a horrific screeching sound as it went. Mayuri had just enough time to press himself flat on the ground and watch it pass above him.

When the blood red light had finally vanished Mayuri Kurotsuchi lay there in shock. Completely lost for words for the first time in his life. Ashisogi Jizō was simply...gone. He'd repaired it in the past...those few times someone had damaged it... But all of those times there had been _something_ left to repair.

The captain slowly rose to his feet as time reverted back to its normal state. The chemical infusion inside him was never designed to last more than a minute.

His eyes flickered downward to the asauchi in his hand. It felt cold. Lifeless. _Blank._ "Oy. Jizō...are you there?" He asked. Uncharacteristic concern managing to creep into his voice. "I asked if you're still in there you worthless tool! Your master is asking a question!" he howled at the blade.

No response.

Mayuri snarled in Ichigo's direction, his face a rictus of rage. "Yoouuuu...you destroyed him. That's not even supposed to be possible! What did you do to my servant!"

Ichigo stalked closer. "Does it hurt Kurotsuchi? To lose something you care about?"

"Answer my question you uppity little brat!"

"Ishida once told me that the quincy were exterminated since their energy had the potential to destroy souls completely. I just added an extra ingredient to my cero is all."

This explanation only seemed to infuriate the scientist further. Mayuri tossed the useless chunk of metal aside and reached deep into one of his jacket pockets. "You haven't won this yet boy! Lest you forget the female wasn't the only one of your friends I had time to study!"

Ichigo paused in his stride as Mayuri pulled yet another device from his robes. With an audible click and the whirring of small gears it fastened itself across the shinigami's arm.

The Lord of Las Noches narrowed his eyes at the device. It was reminiscent of the glove Ishida had wielded when they invaded Soul Society only...different. It was modded. Edited heavily. Only the twin silver spikes protruding from the wrist seemed to have been left unaltered.

And with a crazed expression, Mayuri tore one of those spikes off.

An incredible spire of light erupted from beneath Mayuri's feet briefly shielding the captain from view. It lasted only a moment, three or four seconds at maximum, but when the light died away it was clear that _something_ had changed.

Kurotsuchi's aura had become visible. It wafted off his back in small smoky trails and the air pressure began to build. For the first time since the battle began Ichigo's eyes widened in genuine surprise as the nearby buildings, walls, and even the ground itself began to break down into spirit particles.

Perhaps it wouldn't be so concerning if they weren't _flowing into the captains body_.

The pressure of Mayuri's reiatsu rose higher and higher as more spirit particles continued to funnel into him. "I may not be able to manipulate raw reishi like you filthy quincies but this toy your friend left behind opens the way for an even greater path!"

And with that grand proclamation...everything stopped. The light vanished. His aura died away. And Mayuri Kurotsuchi stood in the street grinning like an absolute loon. "If my calculations were correct then for the next 3 minutes and 49 seconds my physical abilities will be enhanced..."

Ichigo blinked. That was all. And in that insignificant time frame Mayuri had already shattered the sound barrier and delivered a devastating uppercut to the hybrids chin.

The Lord of Las Noches was forcibly launched into the air and his regenerative powers immediately tried to repair his fragmented jaw. Before it could even get started however, Kurotsuchi had already appeared above him and hammered Ichigo back into the earth.

"...BY EIGHTEEN HUNDRED PERCENT!"


End file.
